Line of Duty series 7 sees arrival of new character

The hit series by Jed Mercurioreturns to the BBC for a seventh series with Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reprising their roles.

In the new series of series seven AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards.

Anticorruption work has never been more difficult and in this challenging climate Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) are assigned their most sensitive case so far.

Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?

(Image: Austin G. Shirley)

Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar are joined by Robert Carlyle, who is the guest lead for series 7.

He plays Detective Constable Shaun Massie, a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO) and veteran marksman, operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups. A gruff loner, Massie keeps himself to himself, but when his boss, TO-7’s commanding officer DI Dominic Gough, is accused of being a sexual predator, Massie’s otherwise detached demeanour changes drastically.

The cast have gathered for a readthrough.

Catch up with previous series on BBC iPlayer.