Jed Mercurio’s hit thriller Line of Duty, produced by World Productions, returns to the BBC for a seventh series with Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar reprising their roles.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new series…

What’s the plot of Line of Duty series 7?

In 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?

Who’s in the series 7 cast?

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.

Tom Weston-Jones (Warrior, Sanditon) will play Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, leader of Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7). A charismatic officer who has won plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime, Gough is accused of abusing his position of trust to act as a sexual predator. But is his case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?

TO-7 will also feature Line of Duty newcomers Laura Aikman (This City Is Ours, Gavin & Stacey) as DC Paula Beckman, Levi Brown (This Town, Girl Taken) as DC Luke Tobin, and Amy Leigh Hickman (Ackley Bridge, You) as DC Nira Rashid.

Returning to Line of Duty for series seven will be Mark Bonnar (former Deputy Chief Constable Mike Dryden), Owen Teale (Chief Constable Philip Osborne), Perry Fitzpatrick (DS Chris Lomax) and Christina Chong (DI Nicky Rogerson).

Further new cast members include David Calder (Motherland, Rivals), Steven Elder (Prisoner, Toxic Town), Dominic Mafham (Vigil, Killing Eve), Sarah Andre White (What It Feels Like for A Girl, Rocks), Aimee Powell (Believe Me, Art Detectives), and Naomi Yang (Under Salt Marsh, Maternal).

When is Line of Duty series 7 on TV and BBC iPlayer?

Further information about the return of Line of Duty will be announced in due course, but we can confirm the cast have gathered for a readthrough.

The next instalment of Jed Mercurio’s hit crime thriller starts filming in Belfast in spring 2026 and will air next year.