H is a pseudonym and codename which refers to a group of senior ranking corrupt police officers within Central Police who wield considerable influence and control over the Organised Crime Syndicate. All four of these Senior officers have been identified, most recently Ian Buckells after admitting his ties in an AC-12 interview.
Origin of the term[]
The term originates from the recorded dying declaration of corrupt officer DI Matthew Cottan in Series 3, in which he revealed the names of several corrupt officers. When asked by DC Kate Fleming for the name of the most senior corrupt officer in the Organised Crime Syndicate, Cottan was capable only of blinking to indicate the first letter of the officers surname. He blinked twice to indicate that that letter was H.
In Series 5, it is revealed that Cottan was also twitching his hand, indicating he is blinking on H to indicate morse code. H in morse code is four dots, implying there are four corrupt senior officers or staff within Central Police. Three have been revealed (DI Matthew Cottan, ACC Derek Hilton and Senior Legal Counsel Gill Biggeloe), leaving one senior officer remaining. In Series 6, it is revealed that the 4th Man, or the final member of the "H" group is Ian Buckells.
Potential Identities[]
Working on the assumption that "H" was the codename of a single corrupt officer, AC-12 complied a list of multiple senior officers within Central Police whose surnames could correspond to the identity of the officer. They included:
| Rank | Name | Current Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant Chief Constable | Derek Hilton | Deceased | Death officially recorded as suicide but with evidence to the contrary. |
| Detective Chief Inspector | Roz Huntley | Incarcerated in HMP Brentiss | Jailed for manslaughter and perverting the course of justice in Series 4. |
| Superintendent | Ted Hastings | Head of AC-12 | Removed himself from the suspects board after uncovering suspected links between Derek Hilton and organised crime. |
| Detective Chief Superintendent | Lester Hargreaves | Deceased | Formerly the head of Serious and Organised Crime, killed by John Corbett during a robbery. |
| Detective Chief Inspector | Michael Hill | Unknown | No appearance in Line of Duty besides his photo on the board |
| Superintendant | Susan Hyde-Albert | Unknown | No appearance in Line of Duty besides her photo on the board |
| Detective Chief Inspector | Paul Haleton | Unknown | Appeared on Sergeant Daniel Waldron's list of abusers in Series 3. |
| Detective Chief Inspector | Raymond Hall | Unknown | No appearance in Line of Duty besides his photo on the board |
| Detective Superintendant | Michelle Harris | Unknown | No appearance in Line of Duty besides her photo on the board |
There also existed other officers within Central Police whose surnames correspond to the title, but are perhaps of too low rank to be considered contenders by AC-12. They include:
| Rank | Name | Current Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constable | Paul Harris | Police Federation Representative | Unseen after representing PC Maneet Bindra. |
