The next episode of Star Wars is to be shot in the UK after Hans Solo fan George Osborne, used the force of tax break incentives to attract Disney-owned Lucasfilm to these shores.

The Chancellor was involved in discussions with the producers of the forthcoming seventh episode of the popular sci-fi franchise earlier this year, and the production company has since confirmed that Star Wars: Episode VII will be shot in the UK.

Osborne, who revealed Harrison Ford's character was his personal favourite from the original Star Wars films, said: 'I think it is a real vote of confidence in Britain's creative industries and a big movie like that - one of the most famous, perhaps the most famous movie franchise in the world - brings with it not just jobs for actors and directors and so on, but for all the other people who have put together an enormous movie. I am personally committed to seeing more great films and television made in Britain.'

With all six of the previous Star Wars films having included scenes shot in the UK, the seventh film is set to continue this tradition.

Skyfall, Inception, War Horse and The Iron Lady have been just some of the more recent feature length films to take advantage of the UK tax reliefs offered to film makers.