Happy Valley and Coronation Street stars team up in first look at gritty new ITV thriller Protection

HAPPY Valley and Coronation Street stars have teamed up for a brand new ITV thriller.

The broadcaster has released first-look images of the new series, which is called Protection.

Leading the show’s cast is Siobhan Finneran, who will star alongside Champion’s Nadine Marshall.

Coronation Street star Katherine Kelly has also landed a role in the thriller.

Protection’s cast also includes stars of Sex Education, Bad Sisters and Silent Witness.

Barry Ward, Chaneil Kular, Nichola Burley, Akiya Henry and David Hayman complete the lineup.

Protection is centred around a witness protection officer’s first-hand experiences – and what happens when the system breaks down.

Siobhan Finneran’s character Detective Inspector Liz Nyles is exposed to a breach when an affair with a colleague leaves her compromised.

The detective is left determined to fight back and find out who the source of corruption is within her unit.

Speaking about the show, its screenwriter Kris Mrksa said: “Protection is a suspenseful conspiracy thriller, but it also explores some complex moral questions, about how far we should be prepared to go in order to serve the greater good…

“The murky world of witness protection, where hardened criminals are often sheltered, in the hope that they will help bring down other criminals, provides the perfect context for examining these thorny issues.

“I’m incredibly excited to be working with the team at New Pictures again, in bringing this complex world to life.”

ITV have yet to reveal when Protection will launch, but it’s expected to later this year on ITV1 and ITVX.