City's film office proving a hit, council says

Nene Valley Railway was used as a film set in the 1980s

A film office set up to boost a city's economy was proving to be a hit, a local authority said.

It was founded by Peterborough City Council in January and is aimed at attracting more TV and film productions to the area.

Venues such as Central Park have been touted as potential locations for filming, with four true crime documentaries having brought in income so far.

It was announced in January that Apple TV series Slow Horses, starring Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman, was to film scenes at the city's lido, though the council did not confirm if that was still due to happen.

Peterborough Lido and Central Park are being promoted as potential filming locations

The Labour-run council's deputy leader Mohammed Jamil told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the office had received "a number of inquiries" about potential projects.

"We have not employed any extra staff or resources on this, and this is income which we may not have previously received."

Council leader Dennis Jones added: "We have beautiful locations across the city that we should be using, and this will be a way of containing that information in one portal that showcases what we have to offer."

Previous production locations in the city include Nene Valley Railway, where James Bond films Octopussy and Goldeneye were filmed in the 80s and 90s.

The 2007 movie Atonement, starring Keira Knightley, filmed several sequences in the Peterborough area, transforming the Ouse and Nene Washes nature reserves into 1930s French countryside, while Eldernell Lane near Coates and Gedney Drove End provided settings for rural and coastal scenes.

More recent productions include the 2016 British comedy Zombies in Tha Hood, which was filmed at Queensgate, Orton, Railworld, and Palmerstone Road.