Line of Duty could be set to return sooner than you think with huge revelation, Adrian Dunbar teases

Line of Duty could be set to return to screens as early as 2023 for series seven with a huge revelation, according to actor Adrian Dunbar.

Some fans were left disappointed with the series six finale when the smash hit police drama hadn't exactly been the explosive conclusion that die-hard fans had hoped for.

But actor Adrian Dunbar who plays Supt Ted Hastings in the BBC One drama, alongside Vicky McClure, Martin Compston (Our House) and Rochenda Sandall has teased that the real villain - the identity of H - will be revealed in a new instalment planned for next year.

In an interview with Radio Times, he explained that that Buckells (played by Nigel Boyle) was not H after all.

He said, “He’s not H. We just got the guy we could actually pin a charge on. We didn’t get H, we got Buckells, the patsy,” and went on to claim that Chief Constable Philip Osborne (Owen Teale) was “probably” the guilty man, “unless there’s another twist and someone’s pulling his strings”.

“There’s been talk about a movie or a four-parter or two [episodes of] 90 minutes. We’d love to do it again. I’m really hoping something might happen next year,” he said, adding that the show’s writer, Jed Mercurio, had devised “a couple of templates as to how things could go”.

The Line of Duty finale for series six had a record number of viewers, with 12.8million fans tuning in to see how events played out.

And fans are keen for series seven to start.

One fan wrote, "As ex coppers both my husband and I really enjoyed ALL of Line Of Duty. It’s far closer to the “real” world of policing than any of the other so call programmes. The “evil mastermind” is a tad unlikely (but it is TV DRAMA not a documentary) but the rest of it is spot on!. The ending was a bit weak though.

“The Responder” was even better, a little far fetched, but brilliant drama. Cant wait for the next instalment if either shows."

Another fan put, "Can’t wait."

And a third fan added, "This was a great series, up until the last instalment, which was poorly written and badly produced. By all means bring it back, but ensure the quality returns."

Until Line of Duty's return, Adrian Dunbar will star in ITV drama Ridley later this month, where he plays a retired detective who returns to the police force as a consultant.