Line of Duty CONFIRMS Stephen Graham is playing balaclava man – and announces new and returning cast

Graham's character goes by the name of John Corbett and will appear alongside another newcomer, Lisa McQueen (played by Broken actress Rochenda Sandall), with the pair described as "two pivotal figures in a deadly organised crime group".

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5TWQ3RFj88&list=PLbs-Pk9dtKb8YP3Qd5UDiUQqkuzd776iF

The series blurb continues: "Known to have links with corrupt police offers and suspected to be under direct command of the shadowy figure known only as 'H', Corbett and McQueen become persons of interest to AC-12 following an explosive chain of events."

What that "chain of events" might be is kept under wraps for now, but cast your mind back to the end of the last Line of Duty series and you'll recall Supt. Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) and DS Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) assembled in front of a mammoth collection of evidence that pieced together the events of the four series to date – all linked together by a shadowy criminal gang whose calling card was men (or women) in balaclavas.

We already knew all three AC-12 coppers would be back for the new series, presumably to piece together this criminal conspiracy, but they won't be the only familiar faces showing up.

Maya Sondhi will return as PC Maneet Bindra, who was revealed at the end of last series to be an AC-12 leak, passing information to the late ACC Derek Hilton. Polly Walker is also back as Gill Biggeloe, Aiysha Hart as DS Sam Railston, Tony Pitts as Det. Ch. Supt. Les Hargreaves and Andrew Irvine as Robin Hastings.

READ MORE: From Tony Gates to Roz Huntley: how are all four series of Line of Duty linked together?

And Graham and Sandall won't be the only new faces – they'll be joined on set by Taj Atwal (In the Club) and Richard Pepple (Motherland) as new regulars PC Tatleen Sohota and PS Kyle Ferringham, plus Susan Vidler (Shetland), Sian Reese-Williams (Hidden), Ace Bhatti (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Elizabeth Rider (Doctor Foster) all playing unnamed new characters.

Speaking about his new series, Line of Duty and Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio said: "After the hysteria surrounding Bodyguard, it's a relief to be back in the day job. I'm delighted to be working with the old gang and welcoming our brilliant newcomers led by Stephen Graham and Rochenda Sandall".

Line of Duty series five is expected to hit screens in 2019.