Bond and Lara boost British film

Figures from the government-backed Film Council showed £566.88m was spent on making films in the UK in 2002.

It included £433m spent on films shot in Britain, a rise of £22m compared to the year before.

But the number of films shot in the UK has actually decreased.

The figures come from an analysis of film production spending in the UK, conducted by the Film Council's international arm, the British Film Commission.

It includes money spent on domestic film production, investment from overseas, co-productions filmed in the UK and co-production shot overseas but where money is spent in the UK.

British Film Commissioner Steve Norris welcomed the figures.

He said: "In a highly competitive world this study shows that the UK continues to reap benefits from advantages including superb writers, directors, and actors, outstanding studios and facilities, and top class technicians."

The study showed the UK was involved in the production of 115 films.

But despite the extra money spent, domestic productions fell from 51 in 2001 to 42 last year.

Inward investment productions - foreign projects filmed in the UK - also fell, from 38 to 30, but still attracted 16% more cash.

A total of £267.8m was spent on these projects last year.

There had been a massive fall in 2001 compared to 2000, when 62 projects were filmed in the UK.

But the 2002 investment figures were higher than 2000's.

However, Mr Norris said there was "no room for complacency about the future."

Levels of investment from location shooting in the UK and productions based in the country fell by more than 57% in 2001 compared to 2000.

The industry was hit by the effects of the 11 September attacks, as well as the foot-and-mouth crisis in the UK and threatened actors and writers' strikes in the United States.

In 2000 the figures were boosted by American series Band of Brothers, filmed on location in the UK.

While investment does tend to vary from year to year because of film trends the last 18 months have hit the film industry, especially facilities companies, extremely hard.