Reporting for duty

As Line of Duty returns for a sixth series, Woman’s Own takes a look back at what’s happened in the fast-paced police drama

- JACK WHITE

After what feels like forever, thanks in part to filming being pushed back due to the pandemic, Line of Duty is back! The BBC One drama, starring Martin Compston (Steve Arnott), Vicky McClure (Kate Flemming) and Adrian Dunbar (Ted Hastings), has kept viewers on the edge of their seats since it began in 2012. But will the new series answer all of our questions? And will the identity of the top corrupt officer, H, finally be revealed?

SERIES 1

Steve’s first case for AC-12 is to investigate DCI Tony Gates (Lennie James) who – with the help of Kate Flemming – he discovers is covering up a fatal hit-and-run for lover Jackie Laverty. Unfortunately for Gates, Jackie is caught up with an organised crime group (OCG) – which ultimately results in her murder and his suicide. We also find out that DS Matthew ‘Dot’ Cottan is working as an inside man for John ‘Tommy’ Hunter, the head of the OCG.

SERIES 2

Series two saw the arrival of Keeley Hawes as DI Lindsay Denton, who is spared when armed gunmen ambush a police convoy and leave three officers and a prisoner in witness protection dead. As Denton was in charge of the convoy, she is accused by AC-12 of conspiracy to murder and ends up in prison. But, it turns out, Denton was just caught up in Dot’s attempt to silence Tommy Hunter and stop his own secret identity from being revealed. The series ends with Denton locked up and Dot still embedded in AC-12.