Martin Compston and Vicky McClure have been spotted filming dramatic car crash scenes for the upcoming seventh series of Line of Duty in Belfast. The pair, who play Detective Inspector Steve Arnott and Detective Inspector Kate Fleming, were seen on Corporation Street with a police car overturned and brandishing guns in character.
Filming Resumes After Disruptions
Production on the new series faced several disruptions earlier this month, including the Belfast riots and an injury to Martin Compston. The Scottish-born star required medical attention after being accidentally hit by an Airsoft gun during a scene. Additionally, filming was paused due to anti-immigration protests that turned violent after 30-year-old Sudanese national Hadi Alodid was charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie.
Adrian Dunbar, who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings, commented on the disruptions: "We did have to pause for the riots and that wasn't great. There's a lot of stuff being stirred up in Ireland I think from outside the country at the minute and there's a lot of social media stirred a lot of pots here." He added that a subsequent demonstration by Belfast residents showed the real sentiment towards immigrants.
Weather Challenges and Series Details
Dunbar also noted that weather has been a problem, saying: "In between the showers it's going pretty well, there's a lot of showers coming in, we're getting drenched to tell you the truth." The seventh series, set five years after the 2021 finale watched by 17 million viewers, will see the unit rebranded as the Inspectorate of Police Standards. The trio will tackle their most sensitive case yet in an era where anti-corruption work is increasingly difficult. Line of Duty is expected to return to BBC1 later this year.
