Line of Duty series 5: AC-12 reunites as filming begins on Jed Mercurio BBC drama

The latest series was watched by over eight million viewers

(BBC)

The lead stars of BBC drama Line of Duty have reunited as production begins on the forthcoming series.

Jed Mercurio's procedural will return for a fifth run in 2019, and cameras have begun rolling on what's sure to be another nail-biting batch of episodes.

Line of Duty follows the fictional AC-12, a police anti-corruption squad led by superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) and DS Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure).

Each series focuses on a new character to be investigated by the team, the latest being Thandie Newton's DCI Roz Huntley whose investigation gripped over eight million viewers per episode.

Previous stars include Lennie James and Keeley Hawes, the latter who heads up Mercurio's latest series, Bodyguard, alongside Richard Madden.

Line of Duty has also been confirmed for an additional sixth series, its status as the BBC's most-watched drama in ten years cementing its future.

The BBC has a strong autumn ahead: alongside Bodyguard, the channel will be debuting Wanderlust - starring Toni Collette - Doctor Foster creator Mike Bartlett's new drama Press and Mother's Day, which reunites McClure with former Line of Duty star, Daniel Mays.