Billy Shipton

DCI Billy Shipton was a police detective working in London during the early 21st century, who later became involved in the video production industry in the late 20th century.

Investigations
Stationed in London, in circa 2005 Shipton began investigating the disappearance of multiple individuals near an abandoned estate called Wester Drumlins. Eventually, anyone who reported someone missing in the vicinity would be automatically referred to Shipton. During Shipton's investigations, numerous automobiles were impounded, their occupants missing. Dubbed the "Wester Drumlins Collection", by 2007 the impounded vehicles even included a 1960s-era police box, although Shipton was familiar enough with these obsolete objects to identify some errors in its construction.

Meeting Sally Sparrow
In 2007, Shipton's investigations leads him into contact with Sally Sparrow, who is herself investigating the disappearance of her friend Kathy Nightingale from Wester Drumlins. Sally and Billy immediately hit it off, with Shipton giving her the nickname "Gorgeous Girl" and convincing her to give him her telephone number, after showing her the "Wester Drumlins Collection."

Life in 1969
A few minutes after Sparrow's departure, however, Shipton is touched by the Weeping Angels and sent back in time to 1969 where he is found by the Doctor and Martha Jones and learns his destiny is to send a message to Sally Sparrow when he eventually lives his life back to 2007.
 * Exactly when Shipton arrives in 1969 is not indicated, but it is likely during the first half of the year as Martha says he has the Apollo 11 moon landing to look forward to.

Marriage and Easter Egg
In the ensuing decades, Shipton marries a woman named Sally, and eventually becomes involved in the video publishing industry, including, eventually DVDs. It is through his efforts that a videotaped message from the Doctor (which presumably he kept safe all these years) eventually ends up as an Easter Egg on 17 different DVD releases, sparking interest on the Internet and, ultimately, Sparrow's friend Larry Nightingale.

Death
Finally, on the same day that he first met Sally -- in fact only a few minutes, by Sally's reckoning -- the now-elderly Shipton, destined to die in hospital the same day, contacts Sally and makes final contact with her after delivering one final message from the Doctor, "Look at the list". Shipton dies without knowing the significance of the message (which ultimately refers a the list of DVDs Sally had obtained from Larry; soon after Shipton's death, she realizes the list is of her complete DVD collection, leading her forward into resolving the paradox). (DW: Blink)