WIZARD hero Harry Potter could come to the rescue as Castle Combe villagers face the threat of a build-up of silt which threatens to choke the river.

Fictional superstar Harry Potter could step in where North Wiltshire District Council has declined to tread, stumping up some cash to help with the vital clear-up operation.

Warner Brothers is planning to use the picturesque village as one of the locations in the new Harry Potter film.

Cameras are due to descend on Castle Combe next week, and the parish council is planning to use the fee to fund a river clean-up operation.

Parish council chairman Adrian Bishop said the Bybrook had become clogged with silt along one bank by the bridge.

The village is a tourist honeypot of worldwide renown, attracting thousands of visitors each year.

But silt deposits have damaged the appearance of the River Bybrook which flows through the village.

"We have a great bank of earth and sand. It has reduced the flow of the water to a trickle," Mr Bishop said.

"We've had comments from visitors about the state of the river. It's getting to be a shambles."

The Environment Agency has declined to help because it said the silt does not constitute a flood risk.

Villagers made a valiant attempt to shift the deposits themselves with shovels, but the sediment proved too heavy to clear. The parish council now wants to hire a contractor to carry out the work.

A digger will be needed to work along the bank and remove the heavy accumulation of silt.

It is expected the final bill for the clean-up could be as high as £1,010.

The parish council has earmarked £500 towards and applied to North Wiltshire District Council's Chippenham area committee for a grant of £500. But members decided last week they would not make grants to parish councils because they had their own means of raising funds through the local precept.

Coun Bishop said he was disappointed at the decision.

"The district council put out requests for grant applications. They should not have sent them out to parish councils if they are not eligible for a grant," he said.

"If we leave the job another 20 years the river would be completely silted up," he said.

Now the village is looking to the film industry to supply the shortfall.

"We're anticipating some filming for the new Harry Potter film small scale work for one particular set," Mr Bishop said. The filming is due to take place on October 24 and 25.