Line of Duty fans may be in for a treat, after one of the main stars of the TV series, Adrian Dunbar hinted that the hit police drama may be returning as a movie.

Dunbar, best known as Superintendent Ted Hastings, said he does not know what writer Jed Mercurio is planning with the format, but he thinks a big-screen outing could be a possibility.

The 63-year-old expressed doubts about whether another full series was in the offing, but said an announcement on the show's future could be made by the end of September.

Adrian Dunbar and Mark Compston

Whatever the form, Dunbar said he would love to be reunited with Martin Compston and Vicky McClure, his co-stars in the AC-12 Anti-Corruption Unit.

Previous series of Line of Duty have been filmed in Belfast in Northern Ireland.

"I think there might be something, there’s something going on out there regarding Line of Duty," Dunbar told the PA news agency.

"I’m not sure what shape it’ll take… somebody was talking about possibly a film or maybe you know two 90 minutes or three episodes.

"I’m not sure you’d get a full series. But I think there’s still an audience out there to see the three of us back together again.

"It certainly would be nice to get back to Belfast where we’ve always had good fun."

He added: "It depends what they come up with. I think we’ll hear something shortly about it. I’ve got a feeling that before September is out we might hear something about Line of Duty that we can tell people."

The sixth series of the police drama was a ratings success for the BBC last year, with its dramatic finale revealing the identity of the mysterious corrupt officer H.

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Dunbar is currently in Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh where he was participating in the Happy Days literary festival dedicated to the work of Irish playwright Samuel Beckett.

He is due to return to TV screens in a different police role in the autumn, playing a retired detective the ITV drama Ridley.

"I have a new series coming up, a new kind of whodunit detective series coming out in probably September on ITV called Ridley, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the audiences in the UK take to that," he said.

The series will open with Dunbar's Detective Inspector Alex Ridley facing up to retirement from the force.

"After twenty-five years as a homicide copper, Ridley has been nudged out of the job he loves," says ITV. "But the prospect of retirement is not a particularly welcome one, as he's been cut off in his prime."

His replacement is Acting DI Carol Farman - his former protégée.

"When he's enlisted by Carol as a police consultant on a complex and compelling murder case, the investigation takes a dark and unexpected turn," ITV continues.

"Turning to her old mentor for support, Carol is keen to access Ridley's unique insight into crime-solving, which has served them so well in the past."

From there, Ridley comes out of retirement and renews his partnership with Carol.

Ridley is due to begin filming in the autumn. It is the new project from Vera writer Paul Matthew Thompson, who has co-created the series with Jonathan Fisher, the executive producer on the Dunbar-starring Blood.

"I don't think I've ever headed into a production with more excitement and enthusiasm," said the Northern Irish star. "As an actor, I know how rare it is to be given such a wonderful opportunity..."

London-based Dunbar has been in Ireland this summer filming more episodes of his popular Channel Five series Coastal Ireland.

His latest exploration of the island’s rugged coastline takes him to Wicklow, Waterford, Wexford and Cork.

"That was very successful for Channel Five so I’m hoping that it’ll pick up good numbers again," he said.

"It’s really good fun to do."