“However, calling a character with Down’s Syndrome ‘the local oddball’ on World Down Syndrome Day doesn’t sit well with me.
The man accused of killing Gail is Terry Boyle, who is played by Tommy Jessop, an actor with Down’s Syndrome.
In series five, the character was played by Jessop, while Laverty’s body was still stored in Terry’s flat.
However, some viewers praised the show for featuring Jessop so prominently on World Down Syndrome Day, with one tweet reading: “Can I just say it’s great to see Tommy Jessop as Terry Boyle in #LineOfDuty especially as today is World Down Syndrome Day.”