Line of Duty series 5 finale could be last ever episode, says creator Jed Mercurio

He's damned reports there'll be a sixth and seventh series

The creator of Line of Duty has suggested that this Sunday’s episode could be the final ever instalment.

Jed Mercurio, who also created the hit BBC series Bodyguard, was responding to an article posted by The Sun that claimed bosses were trying to lure actor Martin Compston back for two more series of the crime drama.

However, according to Mercurio, a sixth series hasn’t been confirmed let alone a seventh.

“This story about @martin_compston #LineofDuty by @StuartPink is a lie,” he wrote. “We’ve told you it’s a lie. You’ve printed it anyway. I’m not writing S6 let alone S7."

Line of Duty’s fifth series comes to an end with a 90-minute episode this Sunday. Fans are hopeful the identity of the enigmatic "H" will be revealed following a devastating episode that saw Superintendent Ted Hastings end up behind bars.

The latest outing saw the addition of Anna Maxwell Martin who plays Patricia Carmichael. Speaking on Zoe Ball’s Radio 2 show, the Bleak House actor revealed it was a struggle to learn her lines for the dialogue-heavy interrogation scenes.

“It is quite hard,” she said. “I became hysterical throughout the whole process giggling the whole time, internally freaking out the whole time. I don’t remember much, oh gosh. I learned one hundred million lines so I blanked it out like a trauma.”

Line of Duty concludes this Sunday at 9pm on BBC1