The Independent reports that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix director, David Yates, is having some difficulty setting up the big broomstick chase scene in the film.

A highlight of the superhero's next film outing will (hopefully) see Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe leading a high-speed broomstick chase, James Bond-style, down the Thames.

Unfortunately, the film's director, David Yates, who is currently masterminding pre-production, says that several local councils are refusing to play ball.

"So far, we have spent a lot of time on boats on the Thames," he tells me.

"I want to do a great big wizard chase past the London landmarks and it is going to be very exciting, but it has not been easy to set up.

"We need to secure the co-operation of 17 different councils, and some of them are doubtful at this stage.

"My location manager is going to spend the next four months trying to sort it all out - we don't start shooting until the spring."