Line of Duty actor Martin Compston hints at season 6 start date

Not too long to wait

Line of Duty
Author: Anna Sky MagliolaPublished 18th Feb 2020

Just a day after new images from the set of Line of Duty were released, actor Martin Compston, who plays Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott, has now teased a start date for the long-awaited, upcoming series.

Taking to Instagram to share a photo of some of the cast, in front of the AC-12 sign, Martin captioned his pic, 'Day one in the AC12 house. 4months to go 👮‍♂️'.

And, while he doesn't give us an exact start date, for the sixth series of Line of Duty, it's clear that we could be seeing the new series as early as June 2020!

This news has been welcomed by many fans who have replied to Martin's post saying, 'yaasssss!! Can't wait! Started watching LOD from the start on iplayer just to get ready 😂😂' (sic) and 'Just finished season 5 😲 cannot wait for S6!!!!' (sic).

Just yesterday (17th February), the BBC released some photos from the set of the upcoming series, sending fans into overdrive, as the new pics show Martin Compston's character on a new case, a year and half after the events in series 5 of Jed Mercurio's drama.

The BBC also revealed the return of lead characters DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), with the introduction of a new cast member DCI Joanne Davidson, who will be played by actress Kelly Macdonald.

Fans are now poised for the new series and glued to the show's socials in the hope that more pics from behind-the-scenes will be released. While you're waiting for the new series take a look at some of the acronyms used in the show.

Struggle to understand the Line of Duty language? Check out all of the acronyms explained:

OCG - Organised Crime Group: Serious crime planned, coordinated and conducted by people working together on a continuing basis, mostly acting in different roles depending on their skills and expertise.

PACE - Police and Criminal Evidence Act: Established in 1984, a code of practice that regulates police powers and protects public rights.

REG 15 - Regulation 15 notice: A notice that advises an officer that a complaint has been made or a conduct matter has come to light that warrants investigation by professional standards department.

RIPA - Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000: An act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, which regulates the powers of the public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation, and covers the interception of communications.

RTC - Road Traffic Collision

ANPR - Automatic Number Plate Recognition: Technology is used to detect, deter and disrupt criminality at a local, force, regional and national level.

AC-12 - Anti-Corruption Unit 12: A dedicated unit that holds responsibility for investigating corruption within the police force.

CHIS - Covert Human Intelligence Source: A person who establishes or maintains a personal or other relationship with another person for the covert purpose.

AFO - Authorised Firearms Officer: A police office, who has been selected, trained, accredited and authorised by their chief officer to carry a firearm operationally.

ARVs - Armed Response Vehicles: ARVs are crewed by Authorised Firearms Officers to respond to incidents believed to involve firearms or other high-risk situations.

DIR - Digital Interview Recording: Digital device used to record police interviews.

IOPC - Independent Office for Police Conduct: A non-departmental public body in England and Wales which, since 8 January 2018, is responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against forces in England and Wales.

FI - Forensic Investigator: The FI gathers and preserves physical evidence at a crime scene to take to a lab where they examine what they or other law enforcement personal have found.

I.P. Address - Internet Protocol Address: A numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

SFC - Strategic Firearms Commander: The SFC has overall strategic command of firearms operations, with responsibility and accountability for directions given.

UCO - Undercover Operative: A method use by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They wear civilian clothes that fit in to avoid detection.


TFC - Tactical Firearms Officer: A TFC provides guidance on the appropriate use in respect of different tactical options involving the deployment of AFOs.

VPN - Virtual Private Network: The extension of a private network that includes links across shared or public networks, such as the Internet.

Line of Duty series 6 is expected to land in June 2020.

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