THE producers of The Crown have apologised for filming a noisy nighttime fireworks display at a stately home near Ringwood that infuriated neighbours.
Scenes for the latest series of the hit Netflix Royal drama are being shot at grand Somerley House.
But many residents in the vicinity of the 7,000 acre parkland estate were unaware of their plans, prompting a host of complaints.
One neighbour said the fireworks 'went off for hours' and terrified their pets.
The Somerley Estate and Left Bank Pictures, which produces The Crown, said they were sorry for the 'inconvenience caused' by the fireworks.
Lindsay Andrews, 67, a forest school leader from Fordingbridge, was taking part in an outdoor Ringwood Community Chair practice around a campfire with about a dozen people when the fireworks started.
She said locals should have been given 'advance warning' of them in case they had animals or suffered from PTSD.
She said: "We were sat outside as a choir around a camp fire singing Sloop John B in harmony when the fireworks started.
"We stopped to listen to them as they were pretty loud.
"There were four or five bursts of it over an hour.
"Our dog is ok with fireworks but if your pets are frightened by them or someone suffers from PTSD it could be frightening.
"My main complaint is that they did not give advanced warning so the people affected could have kept their animals in."
Other complaints were made on social media by worried local residents.
The fireworks display took place between 7.30pm and 9pm on Wednesday and could be heard several miles away.
A spokesperson for Somerley House accepted that the wider community should have been 'notified' of the fireworks, but acknowledged many were 'not informed'.
They said: "The Somerley Estate is truly sorry for any inconvenience caused by the fireworks last night.
"Despite our best efforts to notify residents and livestock owners who we thought would be affected by the fireworks, there were many not informed.
"We recognise that the wider community should have been notified and we are looking into ways to achieve this in the future."
Frederik Tyson-Brown, location manager for Left Bank Pictures, who also produce Outlander, said: "I would like to apologise for any disturbance caused in the area by our firework display.
"In cooperation with the Somerley Estate, we endeavoured to inform local residents in the vicinity of Somerley, but I can only apologise if this was not as far reaching as people would have hoped.
"Having myself grown up in the local area, it has been my great pleasure to bring high end filming to the area, showcasing what a special and beautiful part of the world this is.
"We have a long established relationship with the Somerley Estate over the last three years as a repeat location on our production, each time bringing a crew of over 250 people to the area, who in that time will have contributed to the local economy in utilising local hotels, restaurants, shops and bars at often seasonally quiet times of the year.
"I would again like to offer my sincere apologies to anyone who found our work last night overly disturbing and I hope to cultivate a communicative and harmonious relationship with the residents of the area going forward."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel