Line of Duty series 6: The best Ted Hastings quotes of all time

There simply would be no Line of Duty without Ted Hastings.

The charismatic commanding officer of AC-12 has been putting bent coppers away for years, upholding standards in the police force and imparting wisdom to his colleagues and viewers alike.

Brilliantly played by Adrian Dunbar, Ted is one of the most popular TV characters of recent times, and his latest case is proving one of the most challenging he’s ever faced.

The investigation into Gail Vella’s murder is the focus of series six, with a collection of new and old faces tasked with solving the mystery.

Ted is joined by the likes of Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) on the show, in addition to suspicious newcomer Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald), who is being closely monitored by AC-12.

Throughout the six series of the show, Ted has always been ready with a killer line and a number of his favourite sayings have reached iconic status among fans.

Take a look back at Ted’s finest moments on the show with his best ever quotes.

‘Mother of God!’

‘None of my people would plant evidence, they know I’d throw the book at them, followed by the book shelf.’

‘Look we’ve been round the houses, Steve, round the houses and down the bloody drains.’

‘Now we’re sucking diesel!’

‘Steve’s been an AC for almost a year now and every day has felt like a lifetime.’

‘You’ve got a bloody nerve.’

‘For years, the security in this department has been watertight… then you come along, suddenly we’re leaking like a colander.’

‘Things get a wee bit fuzzy for me here Sergeant. Maybe you could be a ray of sunshine and burn off the fog?’

‘I was beginning to feel a wee bit like the ginger stepchild.’

‘Superintendent Hastings, like the battle.’

‘Catching criminals is tough enough but catching coppers – God give me strength.’

‘Your team was pausing the game but you went and gave away a penalty.’

‘Got you a big pint of that cats’ p*** that you fellas seem to like so much.’

‘I think you should sit down fella, or I will handcuff you to that desk.’

‘Go back to the coal face, the pair of you, unless you’ve got more egg-sucking tips for your granny.’

‘My officers conduct themselves to the letter of the law, sir. The letter!’

‘There’s only one thing I’m interested in and that is catching bent coppers.’

Line of Duty series six has had viewers hooked so far, although some have been confused over the use of acronyms in the first two episodes.

One of the terms had viewers unsure of what they heard was ‘CHIS’, which stands for Covert Human Intelligence Source – an undercover agent who is recruited by the police but is not a police officer.

There are many theories surrounding the identity of corrupt copper H too, with some viewers believing that H actually refers to a building. Will the mystery be revealed by the end of series 6?

Line of Duty airs on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : Line of Duty season 6: Star Tommy Jessop’s mum didn’t think ‘oddball’ line ‘was a big deal’

MORE : Line of Duty: Ryan Pilkington actor says Gogglebox’s Jenny has ‘made his day’ with trusty notebook