Peaky Blinders' star surprises restaurant staff

Stephen Graham was described as "very polite" by staff at a Goole restaurant

Staff at an Italian restaurant were surprised when an award-winning actor stopped by for a meal.

Stephen Graham, who plays Hayden Stagg in the TV series Peaky Blinders, told staff at Mr NessuNo in Goole he was having a meal before filming scenes for the show's feature film Immortal Man on the neighbouring docks.

Staff member Jess Hasanaj said a man who "looked like a bouncer" took a menu out to a “blacked out SUV”, when she realised it must have been someone working on the nearby film set.

On meeting the actor, she said: “He was a really nice guy, really down to earth, you would have just thought he was a normal guy from Goole walking in.”

Ms Hasanaj said Mr Graham signed an autograph for the chef, who had made him seafood linguini, before taking photographs with the staff and other diners.

When asked what their reaction had been to serving the actor, she said the team were “really honoured," adding, "we’re a small restaurant in a small town".

She said Mr Graham could not share much about the production but said he was "filming the new Peaky Blinders film here and wasn’t looking forward to jumping in the docks at 1.30 in the morning".

Stephen Graham played union man Hayden Stagg in the sixth series of Peaky Blinders

Rumours have circulated in the town as to the identity of the production being filmed on the docks for several weeks, after letters were sent to residents advising them of pyrotechnics and loud noises on 25 and 26 October.

In the letter from Oblik Productions, the project is described as "a feature film, due for release in 2025", and the company were unable to comment any further when approached by the BBC.

On Friday evening, as filming began, crowds of people gathered in Bridge Street in Goole, where across the docks special effects could be seen and heard.

Humberside Police said: "Please do not be alarmed if you see or hear anything relating to the use of pyrotechnics as part of the filming. Police and fire (services) are fully aware."

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