Steve hears something very surprising about Hastings...
After making initial contact with rogue undercover officer John Corbett in last Sunday’s Line of Duty, DS Steve Arnott decided to work with him in a bid to bring down the high-profile bent copper known only as "H".
Yet Arnott gets the shock of his life during this Sunday's episode, when his new contact suggests that the powerful criminal at the top of the police force could be none other than his boss – Supt Ted Hastings!
With Hastings’ personal problems, such as the breakdown of his marriage and the loss of all his savings in a property scam, coming to light, some of his colleagues start to question whether he could be corrupt or connected to "H".
“Every member of the anti-corruption unit has their vulnerabilities,” says Adrian Dunbar, who plays Supt Hastings. “They are cops trying to do a job, but they’re also real people who have human traits. Ted is under suspicion and his background is explored, but it would be strange if he turned out to be a baddie, don’t you think?”
John Corbett isn’t the only person starting to distrust Hastings, as police lawyer Gill Biggeloe (played by Polly Walker) begins to question why AC-12 have so far failed to track down the rogue undercover copper.
Meanwhile, Corbett knows time is running out for him to force "H" into the open, so he puts an ambitious plan into action during a spectacular climax to this week’s episode. But will his gamble pay off?
Whether his character turns out to be a hero or a villain, being involved in such a well-loved series has been a career highlight for Adrian, and it seems that some of his biggest fans are the country’s real-life coppers…
“We get a lot of warmth from the public and especially the police,” he explains. “Just the other day, a group of officers rolled down their window and waved to me as they went past in their car. I just said, “Carry on, lads!”’
Line of Duty continues on Sunday at 9pm.
