Brum deal on Hustle

A quango meant to bring investment to the West Midlands gave £400,000 of taxpayers money to film BBC show Hustle – even though it is set firmly in London.

Producers of the hit BBC TV series moved to Birmingham for filming last year but every shot is changed to make viewers think it is actually in London.

Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency, gave the funding to production company Kudos via Screen WM, which also funds BBC drama series Survivors.

The first five series, starring former Man from Uncle and Magnificent Seven actor Robert Vaughn, were filmed in London but production of the sixth season, currently pulling in six million viewers every Monday, relocated to Birmingham.

The 100-strong TV crew used Birmingham locations including Metro Bar and Hotel Du Vin. But they are interspersed with images of London icons like the Houses of Parliament.

Screen WM spokeswoman Sarah Arnesen claims the deal to bring Hustle to Birmingham will bring £1.2m into the region's economy, adding: "With the global reach of Hustle we will be showing the world that Birmingham has the capacity and infrastructure to support large TV productions and feature films."

But the £400,000 payment was today criticised by Dr Peter Webb, a media expert from the University of Birmingham, who said it did nothing to promote the West Midlands to viewers. He added: "I would have thought that give the level of funding the show has received it should go some way towards promoting Birmingham rather than going out of its way to be London-centric."

And Fiona McEvoy, of the West Midlands Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "If Screen WM's remit includes attracting investment to the region whilst raising the profile of the West Midlands as a place to film, then this £400,000 pay out to bring Hustle to Birmingham threatens to fall short on both counts with taxpayers being left short-changed and none the wiser."