A right Royale mess as Bond film contests fire

James Bond – lover, drinker, gambler – and now outsourcer. Yup, our favourite spy, the man who has a licence to kill also has a licence to get other people to do his dirty work - reports the Telegraph.

I've written about this before but a battle royal between Casino Royale Productions and Pinewood Studios is coming to a head nicely.

The case involves a fire at the studios, started as oxyacetylene torches were used to dismantle water tanks used in filming Bond flick Casino Royale – which starred Daniel Craig and Eva Green, pictured right – which Pinewood claims caused £8m worth of damage.

Casino Royale Productions is fighting the claim, but not with fountain pen guns and laser beam watches. Instead it is employing the old-fashioned method of getting in the lawyers. "It is denied," the defence papers state, "that this work was actually carried out by Casino Royale. Casino Royale had engaged First Imperial Services to dismantle the set … First Imperial had subcontracted the dismantling … to J Male & Son, who had in turn subcontracted the work to Downton Structures.

"It was Downton that was actually carrying out the cutting work."

So there – no secret ink required for that message. All parties deny wrongdoing. The case continues.

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