Focusing on the lives of several men living on the fringes of society and the law in Salford and Greater Manchester, the documentary offers an intimate portrait of their everyday struggles and relationships. Several of its subjects later reappear in Dominic Savage's The Complainers, most notably two carpet salesmen whose argument with Alan Birkin spans both documentaries. While the Carpet Salesman feature here as part of the wider ensemble, Birkin becomes one of the central focuses of The Complainers.