Twickenham Studios for sale again after buyer changes mind

The anonymous saviour of Twickenham Studios has withdrawn the offer, leaving campaigners fighting to keep film-making at the site in the lurch.

The bidder paid a £100,000 non-refundable deposit for first rights on purchasing the studios where films from Alfie to A Hard Day’s Night were shot.

But Gerald Krasner, the administrator, said the would-be buyer had pulled out “for personal reasons” and the business was now being remarketed.

“More than 30 parties have expressed an interest, including several that also made assurances to continue to operate the site as a film studio,” he said.

Administrators expected to sell the studios for residential and commercial development after claims that the site could not compete with the larger rivals Pinewood and Leavesden.

But Taylor Wimpey withdrew plans after Richmond council backed calls from campaigners keen to keep movie-making in Twickenham, and a petition was signed by Colin Firth, Steven Spielberg and Sir Paul McCartney.

Daniel Cormack, a leader of the campaign to Save Twickenham Film Studios, said: "This is terribly sad news as we are now back to square one having lost a buyer who was prepared to invest in the studios and protect all the jobs and expertise of these world-renowned facilities."