The end of ITV's Vera will arrive sooner than many fans would have liked, with Brenda Blethyn already having filmed her last scenes as DCI Stanhope and a big hint now given as to when they will air.

For those fans who reach the end of the series and are still itching for more, Ann Cleves has signed on the dotted line to produce two further Vera books, taking the series to at least 12.