THE Hollywood director who has bought an airfield near the Wiltshire border has released a statement regarding the purchase in hopes to reassure residents and aviators.

After the announcement that Guy Ritchie is buying a beloved airfield close to his Wiltshire home, many aviators and residents in the surrounding areas expressed worry about what changes would be made.

In a letter addressed to the workers, residents, aviators and wider community of Crompton Abbas and the surrounding area, Mr Ritchie confirmed that he would keep running the airfield in the same spirit as the Hughes family, the previous owners.

He said: "We will make some improvements to the buildings and infrastructure, this will be done in a sympathetic manner, with the current community of users included in the planning."

He confirmed that the airfield will continue to run as before, for both resident and guest aircraft. The cafe and bar will also continue to run so that the airfield can remain a regional destination for families.

But Mr Ritchie also said that the flying school needs help to be able to continue to run.

He said: "We want to maintain flying training, but we cannot manage the flying schools ourselves.

"We would like to discuss with those currently involved in the school the ways that we could enable flying training activities to continue."

He also mentioned that some storage and workshop activities will move from Ashgrove Farm, where Ritchie has his brewery to make his Gritichie beer, to the airfield.

Finally, Ritchie said there will be a carefully managed transition period with the Hughes family to ensure that nothing is rushed.

At the end of his letter, Ritchie promised the residents and aviators that they will be kept informed of everything regarding the transition.

Director, Ritchie, brought hit crime films Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels in 1998 and 2000’s Snatch to the big screen.

Ritchie, 54, bought the Georgian manor house and estate in the Wiltshire village of Tollard Royal for £9 million with his now ex-wife Madonna in 2001. He then kept the estate when their marriage ended seven years later.

He has kept the estate since then and now lives there with his actress and model wife Jacqui Ritchie.

The estate is on the Wiltshire and Dorset border and neighbours the Crompton Abbas Airfield.

The new owners will occupy the airfield from February 1, 2023.