Towards the end of last year, BBC audiences were delighted when it emerged that Line of Duty would be making a comeback for a seventh series.

The hard-hitting crime drama concluded in 2021, leaving viewers hungry for more following the tense finale.

Now, stars Martin Compston, Adrian Dunbar, and Vicky McClure are set to return to their iconic roles once more. Yet this week it emerged that a familiar face will be joining the line-up.

Scottish actor Robert Carlyle, renowned for his performances in Trainspotting, The Full Monty, and 28 Weeks Later, has been signed up as a guest series lead in the new instalment of Line of Duty.

BBC audiences will witness Robert portray Detective Constable Shaun Massie in the forthcoming series, with filming scheduled to commence this spring, reports OK!

Discussing his addition to Line of Duty, the BAFTA-winning performer said: "Having been a huge admirer of Jed Mercurio's work for many years, I'm delighted to be given the opportunity to join such an exceptional cast for series 7 of Line of Duty.

"The scripts for the series are excellent and will absolutely maintain the quality that the audience have come to expect from this fantastic show. DC Massie is an extraordinary character, and I look forward to bringing him to life."

In the forthcoming series, viewers will notice a slight shift as AC-12 has been dissolved and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards.

A synopsis for the forthcoming series states: "Anticorruption work has never been more difficult, and in this challenging climate, Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings are assigned their most sensitive case so far.

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"Detective Constable Shaun Massie is a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO), a 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."

Line of Duty is set to air on BBC One next year.

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