Vera finishes series in triumph with viewing figures higher than Line of Duty

The two-hour long programme aired on ITV from 8pm and was watched by 5.4 million viewers with a 25% share of the audience for its timeslot, according to overnight data.

Over on BBC One was the latest episode of police drama Line Of Duty, airing for one hour from 9pm, with an average of 4.5 million viewers and a 21% share of the audience.

Despite beating the competition, Vera's last episode did not manage to match up to the series opener, which saw 6.4 million viewers tune in to see Brenda Blethyn back as the frumpy but loveable DCI Vera Stanhope.

The debut episode of the seventh series divided viewers, with many complaining they could not understand the actors' dialects.

However, following the final episode, Vera fans shared how "gutted" they were that it had come to an end for another year after four episodes.

"Please @ITV when you bring #vera back next year, can we have more than 4 episodes, @BrendaBlethyn is absolutely brilliant, just love her," said one viewer on Twitter.

Another fan posted: "Think #VERA (aka @BrendaBlethyn) really rather deserves a lot more episodes per season!"

Another said: "Watching @itvvera Gutted its the last ep it's the only good thing on tv on a sunday,should be on every week #Vera."

"The last 4 weeks have gone far too quickly #itv please can we have more episodes next time?" pleaded another fan.

Police procedural Line Of Duty, now in its fourth series, may not have matched the overnight numbers of Vera, but the current series is having a strong showing in the ratings.

A record audience of five million on average tuned in for its first episode, with a rise of nearly two million viewers compared with the third series' launch last year.

Last week's Sunday night broadcast of Line Of Duty, which stars Thandie Newton and Vicky McClure, scored an average of 5.1 million viewers.