Where was Line of Duty filmed?

BBC’s Line of Duty is known for its intense plot twists, nail-biting interviews, and edge-of-your-seat drama - but just as captivating are the streets, buildings, and backdrops where the series unfolds.

While many viewers assume the show is set in London, Line of Duty was actually filmed in a range of surprising UK locations. In this article, we take a closer look at where the series was shot, from iconic police headquarters to real-life city streets that doubled as fictional crime scenes.

Birmingham Municipal Bank

Cast your mind back to the first season and the exterior of the Central Police Station where Gates and Fleming work. It’s a grand building with huge stone columns at the front. This is actually the old Municipal Bank on Broad Street in Birmingham and it’s Grade II listed.

Invest Northern Ireland Headquarters

The Invest Northern Ireland building on Belfast’s Bedford Street doubles as the show’s AC-12 offices. This modern office block’s exterior pops up frequently from season two to six. And Hastings and Arnott are often filmed inside the building, peering over the balcony into the reception.

Belfast Central Library

You may have noticed Hastings visiting Pelbury House, the show’s Police Headquarters. This beautiful red stone building is actually Belfast Central Library on Royal Avenue in the Cathedral Quarter. This Victorian gem was one of the first public libraries to be built in Northern Ireland.

Corpus Christi College

This school is no longer in use but the empty building does a fine job of posing as Hillside Lane Police Station in season six. It’s tucked out of the way on Ard Na Va Road in Belfast’s Gaeltacht Quarter.

Underpass

That distinctive underpass with graffiti-covered walls, where Arnott meets Fleming in secret, could be anywhere. But, in fact, the entrance is on Belfast’s High Street, opposite the Albert Memorial Clock in Queen’s Square.

Belfast Metropolitan College

Wondering where season four’s Polk Avenue Police Station is? It’s the former home of Belfast Metropolitan College on Tower Street. It was transformed into the police station for the show and in real life is now a studio for artists.

Tates Avenue

Tates Avenue crops up in multiple seasons of the show. It’s where Fleming runs after Dot in the fourth season. Their stand-off happens under a bridge where the road meets Donegall Avenue. And it appears again as the location of the phone box that Arnott uses to contact the gang. Sadly, you won’t find the actual phone box as it was just a prop.

North Street

Kingsgate Printing Services, where the criminal gang operate from in season five, is thankfully fictional. But the building is real, and it’s located opposite the bingo hall on North Street in Belfast’s Smithfield and Union Quarter.

East Belfast Yacht Club

You may have noticed the occasional body washing up in Line of Duty over the seasons. Well, it’s usually Conn’s Water at East Belfast Yacht Club that has the pleasure of hosting these scenes. It’s close to George Best Belfast City Airport.

If all this behind-the-scenes insight has you itching to rewatch every twist and turn, you can stream Line of Duty in full on BBC iPlayer. Whether you're catching up from the beginning or diving back in for another round of AC-12 action, it’s all just a click away.

And with Virgin Media’s broadband and TV bundles, you can access BBC iPlayer, Netflix, and other top streaming services in one place - making it easier than ever to enjoy the best of British TV.