Last updated at 15:49 12 October 2007

Alarmed residents rang police last night after seeing 200ft flames shoot from Battersea Power Station during filming for the new Batman movie.

Crew members for Batman: The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader, were shooting some explosive scenes at the now defunct power station in central London.

Scroll down for more

But as they carried out the controlled explosions, flames shot high up into the air, terrifying local residents.

The incident follows the death of the film's special effects expert, New Zealander Conway Wickliffe, 41, last month when a car stunt rehearsal went wrong in Surrey.

His four-wheel drive vehicle crashed into a tree while following a stunt car - believed to be the Batmobile - at the special effects facility near Chertsey.

Batman: The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan and also starring Sir Michael Caine and Heath Ledger, is due for release in Britain next year.

Scroll down for more