Alan Partridge: Steve Coogan film shoots on Cromer Pier

Cromer Pier will be closed to the public during three days of filming

Gunfire is predicted in north Norfolk at the weekend when filming of the long-awaited movie about spoof DJ Alan Partridge comes to Cromer.

The seaside town and its pier are being used as a location in the fictional chat show host's first feature film.

Comedian Steve Coogan, best known for his Partridge character, will be filming in Norfolk throughout the week.

Cromer's mayor, Gwendoline Smith, said use of the locations will attract visitors and be "good for the economy".

The film will see Coogan's comic creation attempt to "salvage his public career while negotiating a potentially violent turn of events".

The pier will be closed to public access from Sunday to Tuesday, 26 February and will feature in a scene towards the end of the film.

Kevin Loader, a producer on the £4m Alan Partridge Movie, said: "Alan has finally decided the time is right to make the jump to the big screen.

"Cromer Pier is such a gorgeous, historic, architectural landmark.

"We felt that to do the movement to the big screen justice we needed something that would register properly cinematically and I think Cromer Pier will do that job brilliantly."

'Exciting and prestigious'

The scenes being filmed in Cromer will be shot around the pier, Jetty Cliff and in front of the Hotel de Paris.

"If you come to the pier you will see what looks like a heavy police presence, but most of them are actors so don't worry," said Mr Loader.

Ian Hall, general manager at Cromer Pier said: "It's very exciting and quite prestigious. We've had lots of filming for various reasons on the past, but this is probably the highest profile.

"Our experience is that everybody will be talking about it for a long time afterwards. We often get customers come up, a year or two down the line, and say 'we saw you in such and such'."

'Unspoilt' Norfolk

John Lee, North Norfolk District Council cabinet member for tourism, said: "We are really looking forward to the filming and seeing the movie when it is released.

"It will be a great advertisement for north Norfolk and I'm sure it will attract many new visitors to our wonderful coast and countryside."

Mr Loader added: "Norfolk has an absolutely distinctive landscape and we felt, especially with Cromer Pier, something that felt very unspoilt.

"Norwich itself is a very distinctive city centre - obviously ancient and beautiful, but a very interesting mix now between new developments and the medieval lanes. It's a wonderful combination and we're very pleased to be there."

The Alan Partridge Movie is scheduled for release in August.