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An army of Sherlock fans descended on Cardiff city centre this afternoon, as rumours spread of the show’s hero making an appearance.

Hundreds of fans gathered at the southern end of The Hayes, as a fleet of lorries and vans carrying sound and lighting equipment gave away the location of the set.

Patient fans who waited in the wind and rain were eventually rewarded with a glimpse of the man himself, as Benedict Cumberbatch was quickly escorted out of a black car and into Giovanni’s Italian restaurant.

Cumberbatch, who plays the show’s brilliant and aloof detective, was sporting his distinctive costume - a long, black trench coat and grey scarf.

Crew members in bright high visibility jackets guided the lorries down the busy street to the set, where a large light was assembled outside the restaurant.

The restaurant’s windows were covered by black-out screens, suggesting a night-time scene.

A long stretch of metal fencing kept eager onlookers a few metres away from the set, with security staff and two police officers on hand.

Paul Vernon, 25, who lives on The Hayes, said: “I was just walking home from work when I saw the crowd and I wondered what was going on. I’ve seen Casualty being filmed around here, but this is the first time I’ve seen a Sherlock set. I love the series and I will definitely be hanging around to see the actors.”

Lizzie Adams, 16, was visiting Cardiff for the day with friends when they stumbled across the filming.

She said: “We were by the university when we saw the film crew and we heard they were coming to Giovanni’s, so we followed.”

She added: “I didn’t watch the series when it first started, but I caught up very quickly and now I’m completely hooked.”

Giovanni’s is no stranger to the glamour of showbusiness, boasting an extensive list of celebrity guests, including Tom Jones, Katherine Jenkins, Joe Calzaghe, Nathan Cleverly, Cliff Richard and Princess Diana.

Rumours have circulated that restaurant owner Giovanni Malacrino will be playing a waiter in the episode.

The crew arrived at the restaurant around 3pm and stayed for about four hours.

Earlier in the day, co-creator Mark Gatiss was spotted leaving a truck during filming on Museum Avenue, wearing cream trousers with a purple shirt and a leather jacket.

Also spotted on set was Lars Mikkelsen, star of Danish crime drama The Killing, who has been unveiled as Sherlock’s new nemesis, Charles Augustus Magnussen.

The actor appeared at home on the set at Museum Avenue, as he sipped coffee, while chatting to a crew member.

A spokesman for the BBC confirmed the scenes would be used in the third episode of the third series, but a date has not yet been set for transmission.