Will Mellor plays D.C. Spike Tanner

Spike is a very driven detective who works well with the team to get the job done. He likes to catch the criminals. He can be a light in the darkness sometimes around the office, a bit of fun, but really he is driven to get the job done and catch the bad guys.

He’s number 2 to Deering and is quite old school in his style. He’s very knowledgeable and Deering leans on him quite a bit when she needs it. The department is quite a female-driven department with having a Ma’am at the top. I think Spike is happy with his position but I think Deering knows that if she needs a good pair of balls she gets hold of Spike.

Spike’s very at ease with the women on the team, he’s like an older brother in his role in the team. They know where they stand and they can have fun with Spike. He has massive respect for the women and is supportive. But he’s his own worst enemy: if he gets something wrong and someone ends up being at risk, he ends up in a dark place. He connects with people that are victims and he gets a personal relationship with them and that makes him even more driven to catch the people that have done these things.

It’s been a long job away from home, but sometimes that helps, being together as a cast. If you go home every night it’s sometimes not possible to build that relationship and on this series it was really important that we look like a tight team. It’s an ensemble piece, everyone’s got their part to play in solving these crimes.

What I’ve learnt about detectives and police officers is that they do have to have a laugh at any opportunity they can find, as the job can be quite dark and demanding sometimes. And that’s what Paul Abbott’s got with this - he’s got funny moments sitting alongside the dark moments.

Paul Abbott is a phenomenal writer, with his own unique style. He goes where a lot of other writers are scared to go. I think he’s daring and he writes standout characters and has a vision and goes for it. I like that. I knew it was a Paul Abbott script as soon as I got it. If his name wasn’t on it, I’d have known, which is what makes a great writer. I’m proud to be doing the job with him and am grateful for the part. It’s the first time I’ve worked with Paul – I’ve wanted to work with him ever since Clocking Off. He’s always written iconic shows. They’ve always stood out so when this came along I knew it wouldn’t be the normal cop drama, I knew it would be something different and it definitely is that.