Despite her working-class roots, Barbara Havers (Sharon Small) has turned out to be the perfect foil for her suave colleague Inspector Lynley.
"Having a bad haircut is the worst thing about playing Havers," says her alter-ego, Scottish actress Sharon Small, "It really gets on my nerves. When I want to go out, I can’t do anything with it!
Over the years, it's become clear that her dodgy hair and drab wardrobe are emblems of an even more bedraggled soul. "What I found interesting in the character in the first place was that she was difficult," reveals Sharon, "She has a lot of problems interacting with her work colleagues, she has problems with authority and she can be a right pain in the arse!"
Havers' career took a knock when she was demoted from Detective Sergeant to Detective Constable, after firing a flare gun at a colleague. She blamed Lynley for not taking her side, leading to an antagonistic atmosphere between them. But he was quick to involve her in his cases, proving that there's still plenty of life in their partnership.
