
The return of BBC hit cop drama Line of Duty has delighted millions - but it has also delighted its Northern Ireland fans who revel in a bit of location spotting.
The show, starring regulars Adrian Dunbar, Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and guest lead Kelly Macdonald follows the captivating investigations of police detectives in the anti-corruption unit AC-12 and their hunt for the elusive organised crime gang - or OCG.
While the series is based in an unnamed town, from series two onwards, the show has been filmed in and around Belfast.
Love #LineOfDuty but going to have to watch on Catch up as I get too distracted spotting where they are in Belfast. I'm going for Cavehill Road/ Sunningdale North Belfast Opening scene - followed by Cregagh East Belfast . What u think ?
— Eamonn Holmes (@EamonnHolmes) March 21, 2021
Filming has taken place on locations across Belfast with past series using city spots including the BT Tower, Invest NI, the former Belfast Telegraph Building, Fitzrovia Mansions, Odyssey Pavillion, Belfast City Hall, First Trust Bank- Custom House Square and East Belfast Yacht Club.
And Line of Duty super fan James Currie has created a concise map that showcases all of the filming locations to see exactly where our favourite characters have been in this and previous series.
James said: "With all of the talk around series 6, I started seeing a few posts online asking where things were filmed, so I thought I would put a map together, especially for those who aren’t local to greater Belfast.”
James got hooked on the show after series 3 - which many fans claim to be the show's most dramatic.
He added that: “It’s great to see more productions being filmed in Belfast and I’m usually quite quick in spotting the locations used by Line of Duty – the only negative is when a character runs through the city centre and ends up in south Belfast within a few scenes, but it’s still a challenge to find out everywhere that they have used.”
The Subway – Albert Clock Queen’s Square
A favourite location for DS Arnott and DI Fleming to meet for a secret conversation.
The subway runs from Belfast’s Albert Clock to High Street and is decorated with some of the city’s famous street art.
AC12 Headquarters – Bedford Street
Along Bedford Street, as seen in the location map, you will find the Invest NI building which is actually the setting for AC-12 HQ.
Police Headquarters – Royal Avenue
The fictional Pelbury House, the headquarters of the show’s police force, is set at the Central Library on Royal Avenue.
Stand off – Royal Mail Building
And how could anyone forget the famous standoff between DS Arnott and rogue cop John Corbett in series five? It was filmed beside the Royal Mail HQ at Tomb Street, just up the road from the famous river Lagan.
Shootout – Tates Avenue
It would also be amiss to forget the dramatic shootout between Dot and Kate in Series 3, which was filmed under the bridge at Tates Avenue. In this scene, you can spot the home stadium of Northern Ireland, Windsor Park.
AC-12 Interior – BT Headquarters
The famous interior used regularly by the AC-12 Unit is located inside the BT NI Headquarters, next to the Belfast Central Railway Station (Lanyon Place) and is also beside the famous Waterfront Hall.
Steve and Nicola’s coffee meet up
Viewers following the current series with a close eye may recognise the coffee shop in which Steve and Nicola met, as a local cafe Snax ‘N The City on Franklin Street.
Line of Duty is just one of many productions shoot on location in Northern Ireland, contributing to the growing local film industry.
Belfast itself is one of the UK’s growing production hubs. In February, 2020 Belfast Harbour Studios submitted a planning application for the development of six new purpose-built film and television studios, an investment of £45million which is estimated to generate over 200 construction jobs and around 1,000 creative industry jobs.
It was recently announced by HBO that Game of Thrones will have five upcoming spin-offs that will no doubt, see the hit series return to Northern Ireland.
Productions shooting in Northern Ireland can apply for the Northern Ireland Film Fund which offers up to 25% funding support to national, foreign and co-produced theatrical feature film and feature documentaries, TV series or documentaries.
Belfast Telegraph