LOCALS living by a major film studio where Harry Potter and Barbie were filmed say it's like being in the middle of a "WAR ZONE".
Homeowners in Leavesden, near Watford, have been subjected to "machine gun fire" and "huge explosions at all times of the day" thanks to the blockbusters being made just down the road.
Warner Brothers Studios, in Herts, has produced classics over the years and most recently the smash hit Barbie film.
And now they want to invest a further £400m into the studios to have 10 new sound stages.
Warner Bros said the plans, which are expected be completed by 2027, will create 4,000 jobs and boost the economy by "more than £200m".
But residents living just yards away from the film sets say the plans are "ludicrous" and will create more disruption.
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Duncan Bain, 58, who lives minutes from the studios, told The Sun Online: "When they’re filming war movies we get the rat-a-tat-tat crack of machine gun fire in the middle of the night.
"Then one night there was a huge bang and my TV aerial fell off as cracks appeared in the ceiling.
"It’s ludicrous. They have absolutely no regard for their neighbours.
"We get guns firing and huge explosions at all times of the day and night. It’s like living in the middle of a war zone.
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"One night they hosted a huge marquee in the air and used it to light up a set where they were filming.
"Imagine the affect that light pollution had on local wildlife.
“Another time I heard a lot of beeping from huge earth-moving machines and looked out my window in the morning to see a huge mountain had appeared with a castle on the top.
“Then there was a time my TV aerial was blown off by one big bang. Fortunately the studio paid to fix that.”
Tim Carroll, 69, who lives a few doors away, said the area is becoming a total eyesore.
He said: “My main concern is the inappropriate building in the Green Belt. It’s urban sprawl.
“This is the first bit of real countryside as you move north from London and when I moved here 20 years there was hardly any buildings there.
“It was just a small-scale development. But since it has grown and grown, and now it’s becoming an eyesore.
“I know they say it will create lots of new jobs, but how many of those will be for local people?
"Even catering for the film sets is brought in from out of town.”
Another neighbour Steve Shorto, 43, said he wasn't against the plans but admitted "the studio can be a bit of a nuisance".
The dad-of-two said: "We get helicopters flying in and out at all times of the day and the other night they must have been filming some motor sport action because loud engines were revving until late.
“They do try and warn us when there is going to be some disruption, but it needs monitoring by the council rather than leaving the studio to self-police themselves.
“And while I welcome the new jobs, how many unemployed cameramen and skilled production technicians are living round here?
“I’d be more impressed if they started schemes to train local people to do these jobs.”
Assistant manager Penny Whytock, who works at nearby Kings Lodge Hotel, had mixed feelings about the project.
She said: "From a business point of view, the studio expansion plans were very good news.
“People working there often stay here in our five rooms and Warner Brothers has been a golden ticket for us.
“But from a resident’s point of view, I have mixed feelings. This is like a little village and I love the green space and the wildlife.
"I don’t ever want to see that spoiled."
Rachel Williams, 43, and her husband Mike, 44, said they weren't fond of the plans but the studio isn't all that bad.
They said: "The studios can be a bit noisy at times when they are filming, but it’s not too often and they generally warn us in advance.”
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And Watford Council’s acting head of development control Bob Wolfe said: “People in this town welcome the idea of a film studio on its doorstep and the prestige that can bring.”
Warner Bros have been contacted for comment.
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