The BBC has released first-look images of the seventh series of Line of Duty, the police drama that first aired in 2012 and returns with Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reprising their roles as AC-12 officers Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings. Creator and writer Jed Mercurio has written the new run, which filmed in Belfast in spring 2026. The previous series aired in 2021, when it averaged 16 million viewers per episode.

The new series marks a major change for the show: AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded as the Inspectorate of Professional Standards, and the team is assigned their most sensitive case so far. Anti-corruption work has become harder to carry out in this setting, and the officers continue their work under the new unit.S1S2

Robert Carlyle, the Trainspotting star, joins the cast as Police Constable Shaun Massie, a veteran marksman and Specialist Rifle Officer who works with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups. Initially presented as a gruff loner, Massie is set for a drastic change in demeanour after his commanding officer, DI Dominic Gough, played by Tom Weston-Jones, is accused of being a sexual predator. Carlyle, 65, was announced as a guest lead in February 2026, and the first-look pictures show him in full police gear holding a rifle.S2

Mercurio has said the six-part series will keep viewers on the edge of their seats, as the character's next move is unpredictable. Fans will have to wait for the broadcast, which is set for 2027, to see how the allegations against Gough connect to Massie's sudden outburst and to the wider threat the series is building toward.S2S1