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.
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: 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: 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: 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.
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.
