Safety order for Harry Potter film company over stunt double's back injury

The production company making a new Harry Potter film has been told to take steps to improve safety after an accident left a stuntman injured.
David Holmes, a stunt double for the film's star Daniel Radcliffe, suffered a serious back injury in the accident at Leavesden Studios, near Watford, Hertfordshire, on January 28.
The set was closed for more than a week while the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched its investigation.



The HSE said today the investigation is continuing, though an interim measure has been taken in the form of an improvement notice.
It means that DDD Co Ltd, set up for the production of the film for which Mr Holmes was practising stunts, has until the end of June to make improvements.



It is understood Mr Holmes, who is originally from Romford but lives in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, was rehearsing an aerial sequence when he was injured.
He was taken to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, in Stanmore, north-west London, which counts treatment for acute spinal injuries among its specialities.
Hundreds of get well messages have been posted on a Facebook page set up by Mr Holmes's brother Adam.
The group David's Get Well Wishes has more than 1,300 members.
The next film in the series based on JK Rowling's books, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, is due to be released in the summer.
Mr Holmes was taking part in a stunt during pre-production work on the seventh film in the series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.