New images from 'Line Of Duty' hint at what happened to DI Kate Fleming

Line Of Duty fans can't wait until Sunday to discover what became of DI Kate Fleming after the show's biggest cliffhanger to date, but these first-look pictures give hope that she may have survived.

Episode five of series six ended at an incredibly tense moment as Fleming, played by Vicky McClure, and Ryan Pilkington (Gregory Piper) were locked in a Mexican stand-off pointing guns at each other.

As the sound of gunfire rang out, the screen went blank leaving viewers stuck waiting a whole week to find out whether one of the show's biggest stars had been killed.

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However, some early release images from the forthcoming episode six seem to suggest Fleming may be alright as DI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) and DC Chloe Bishop (Shalom Brune-Franklin) arrive on the scene, closely followed by Hastings' anti-corruption rival DCS Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin).

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While AC-12 look concerned at what awaits them in the lorry park, they do not look devastated. As Fleming is one of Arnott's closest friends (perhaps his only friend?), it would suggest the worst hasn't happened to her.

Arnott is donning a pair of blue forensic gloves, though, so the possibility of a casualty is not ruled out, even if Fleming has survived.

Fans of the show have also pointed to a scene from the series six trailer, as yet unaired, which shows police back-up vehicles arriving to assist Fleming, who is standing alongside her boss DCI Jo Davidson as she holds up her hands in surrender.

This series, Fleming has transferred to Davidson's murder investigation team but has been drawn back in by AC-12 as they investigate her new gaffer for possible links to the organised crime group (OCG).

She had defended Davidson to her old team, but in episode five was lured to a lorry park as Davidson had been tasked with getting rid of her by the OCG boss.

Pilkington, who first appeared as a child OCG member and has since joined the police as an inside man, went with Davidson to carry out the killing - but as Fleming drew her gun against him, she warned that he had been observed leaking details of police raids.

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Luckily, Fleming had time to send her lorry park location to Arnott which would otherwise have been missed as Carmichael had cancelled AC-12 surveillance on Davidson, citing budget reasons - although fans suspect she may also have OCG links.

However, Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has previously said that killing off the main trio of Fleming, Arnott and Hastings is never far from his thoughts, warning that "nobody is safe".

Viewers will have to wait until Sunday night's episode to find out what happened in the Fleming-Pilkington shoot out, what the consequences will be for Davidson, and whether Carmichael will finally seize control of AC-12.

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