UK films 'add £4.3bn' to economy

Alnwick Castle doubled as Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter films

Films made in the UK contributed an estimated £4.3bn to the country's economy last year, research released by the UK Film Council has suggested.

This came through tourism, employment and exports, and was up from £3.1bn in 2004, the organisation said.

That is a rise of 39% before inflation is taken into account.

Analysts Oxford Economics wrote the report for the UK Film Council, a government-funded body set up to promote the British film industry.

The report said 33,500 people were directly employed in the film industry in 2006.

'World-class facilities'

And for every job directly supported by UK cinema, another post was filled indirectly - through areas such as merchandising or catering - it said.

About 10% of visitors to the UK may have booked their trips after seeing a film set in the country - although there was "limited robust statistical data" to back that up - it added.

Major UK-made releases in 2006 included The Queen, for which Dame Helen Mirren won the Oscar for best actress, and Casino Royale, the latter of which earned £55 million at the UK box office last year.

The council's chief executive, John Woodward, cited Britain's "world-class film facilities" plus its "phenomenal skills and talent" for its ability to attract so many productions.