Factual error: British prisons do not have glass partitions between prisoners, and visitors and visiting facilities are not in closed cubicles. Visits are carried out in open rooms with other prisoners and their visitors, prisoners sit at individual tables with their visitors and touching is usually allowed within reason.
Factual error: Officers of Assistant Chief Constable rank and above are consistently referred to as Executive Officers. The British police actually call these ranks Chief Officers.
Factual error: Chief Superintendent Hilton wears the ribbons of the General Service Medal (awarded for military service in a combat zone, most commonly in Northern Ireland) and the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (awarded for twenty years' service), but not the Golden Jubilee Medal (awarded to all officers with five years' service in 2002), which he would also have. When he reappears in Series 4, he is wearing the Golden Jubilee Medal, Diamond Jubilee Medal (awarded in 2012) and Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, which would all be correct, but no longer has the General Service Medal.
Episode #1.1 - S1-E1
Other mistake: The team blow the flat door in (no. 56/59) with charges applied to the door. When Arnot arrives, the door is intact on the floor, complete with the door number, including the loose 6/9. This is pivotal in revealing that they have the wrong flat! Stairwell sign indicates flats 50 - 59. Regardless of which way they approached, they would have passed other flats and observed the door numbers. (00:02:28)
Episode #1.3 - S1-E3
Visible crew/equipment: As the camera pans over Gate's car once Arnott searches it for the whiskey glass, you can see a person's face lying in the back seat of the car.
Factual error: Superintendent Hastings does not wear the ribbon of the Diamond Jubilee Medal (awarded to all officers with five years' service in 2012), although he does wear the Golden Jubilee Medal (awarded to all officers with five years' service in 2002) and the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (awarded for twenty years' service). Other characters do wear the Diamond Jubilee Medal, so this is obviously after it has been issued. In subsequent series he is wearing the ribbon.
Factual error: Deputy Chief Constable Dryden wears two rows of silver oakleaves on the peak of his cap. Deputy Chief Constables only wear a single row of oakleaves.
Suggested correction: However, DCCs in the British Transport Police and Metropolitan Police (Deputy Assistant Commissioner) have two rows of this insignia.
Indeed, but this is not the DCC of the BTP or a DAC in the Met.
Episode #2.6 - S2-E6
Continuity mistake: When Denton looks up Alex Campbell's vehicle registration, it says "AP08 00G" on the computer screen. When she goes to where the vehicle is, the registration is "AP08 0DG."
Factual error: The members of the firearms team are described as Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs). They are actually the more highly-qualified Specialist Firearms Officers (SFOs).
Factual error: The term 'WPC' (Woman Police Constable) is used for female constables in official documentation. This term has not been used for many years. All constables are now just 'PC' (Police Constable).
Episode #3.1 - S3-E1
Factual error: In the first scene, Chief Superintendent Reynolds is wearing a pip over a crown on his epaulettes instead of the correct chief superintendent's rank badge of a crown over a pip. This has been corrected in subsequent scenes.
Episode #3.1 - S3-E1
Factual error: When he is interviewed in formal uniform, Sergeant Waldron is wearing stripes on his epaulettes as well as on the sleeves of his tunic. In formal dress, sergeants only wear their stripes on their sleeves.
Audio problem: The mechanical Simplex door locks make electronic bleeping noises when the buttons are pressed. As these are mechanical locks with no electronic components, the most you should hear is a click as each button is pressed.
Episode #4.1 - S4-E1
Plot hole: When DCI Roz Huntley kills Forensic Coordinator Tim Ifield the crucial piece of damning evidence is her DNA under his fingernails after scratching her arm. Problem being, at the time of his murder, he was wearing surgical gloves. (00:56:40)
Episode #5.3 - S5-E3
Character mistake: The chief baddie spells definitely as definately.
Episode #5.6 - S5-E6
Other mistake: The caption at the end says that Steve was cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting of "Police Constable Martina Tranter." She was actually a Police Sergeant.
