BBC smash hit Line Of Duty has finally been confirmed to return, four years since the team last appeared on screen.

The crime drama, created by Jed Mercurio, will start filming in the Spring of 2026, with a release date not yet known.

Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar – who play our leading trio of coppers who look to take down police corruption as part of AC-12 – will all be back for the series.

The BBC announced the news with a teaser trailer, seeing Steve Arnott (Compston), Kate Fleming (McClure) and Ted Hastings (Dunbar) getting into their iconic elevator once more.

On their return, Compston said: “Line of Duty has been a job of a lifetime. Not only in terms of the show’s success but the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with I now call some of my closest friends.

“I can’t wait to pull the waistcoat on again and get the team back together.”

“It goes without saying I’m so excited Line of Duty is back!” added McClure. “Can’t wait to work with Jed, Martin and Adrian again. Belfast, we’ll see you soon!”

While Dunbar added: “As we count down the AC12 days of Christmas what a joy it is to know that the Three Amigos will be back filming together next year. Delighted with the news and looking forward to those mercurial twists and turns.”

The official synopsis reads: “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, Kate Fleming 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?”

Creator, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio says: “Everyone involved in Line of Duty feels enormous gratitude to the show’s fans. We’re privileged to have had so many of you follow the ups and downs of AC-12 over six previous seasons and we couldn’t be more delighted to be returning for a seventh.

“Corruption in this country is supposed to have come to an end while Line of Duty was off air so I’ve been forced to use my imagination.”

When Line of Duty’s season six finale aired in 2021, it because the biggest drama in the history of British TV, with 17 million viewers tuning in across the first 28 days to find out the mystery behind “H” – a criminal mastermind within their own ranks.

Line Of Duty seasons 1-6 are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.