The characters, played by Peter Firth and Nicola Walker, have skirted around romantic involvement with each other since Ruth joined the team in Series 2.

Sam Vincent and Jonathan Brackley, who wrote five episodes of last year’s Series 9 and are currently working on Series 10, told CultBox: “As fans of the characters and the two ace actors who play them, we want them to get together too!”

They continued: “But as writers, we can’t judge it by those standards… we have to work with the team to find the best and most truthful story. Stay tuned, it’s not the end of the road for them yet, not by a long shot.”

Spooks will return for a tenth series this Autumn.