LOCALS fear plans to film a £100,000 horror movie about inbred locals in a market town will lead viewers to think it is based on fact.

Film crews hope to begin shooting in and around Thirsk from July on the movie Inbred but so far they have not received a warm welcome.

The movie revolves around a group of wayward teens sent out into the country with their guardians to do community service.

They come across the small fictional town of Mortlake which is filled with inbred locals who do not want the outsiders there.

Trouble flares and blood is shed in the film which has been dubbed a cross between The League of Gentlemen, which mocks small town stereotypes, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

But a local councillor fears viewers may feel that the locals of Mortlake are in fact based on real people in Thirsk giving a bad impression.

Councillor Derek Adamson, mayor of Thirsk, said: "We don’t want that sort of publicity.

"If the film is promoting the area or it’s a historical piece then that’s fine and we have no problem with it.

"It’s quite probable that people will think the characters in the film are like real Thirsk people and that is not a good impression."

Local scriptwriter Paul Shrimpton, of Carlton Miniott, near to Thirsk, has teamed up on the project with director Alex Chandon.

Mr Chandon has made several films including Cradle of Fear and Pervirella featuring an orgy and topless women.

Coun Adamson also had reservations about the movie if it followed Mr Chandon’s earlier work.

He said: "If it’s anything like his previous work then I don’t think he will be really welcome here.

"I think people will draw comparisons to real people and if one of the crew lives here I would hope they would want to put a more positive angle on it."

Funding is in place for the movie’s shooting and many of the cast spots filled although there are still a few vacancies.

It is hoped to have Inbred, dubbed a black comedy, ready for cinematic release in 2011.

Mr Shrimpton, a 2009 winner of the Zone Horror competition for short movies, helped work on the 2005 short horror movie Slow Rot.

Slow Rot was also partly filmed in Thirsk, but was not completed, about a man suffering with the flesh eating Ebola virus.

Mr Shrimpton, 35, said: "Alex had three scripts which for one reason or another didn’t happen and then a fourth one came in and he sent it to me and I re-wrote it.

"Most of it will be shot around the Thirsk area and we’re still casting but we’ve got some names in mind for key roles.

"This will give a boost to Thirsk and it will bring a few more people into the town. Hopefully this will lead to more films being made in Thirsk in the future .

"If the community gets behind it we could make something we can be really proud of."

The film crew needs a semi-derelict farmhouse near Thirsk to use as a location and accommodation for them to stay in.

Auditions for locals wanting to appear as extras will take place at an open casting session with the details to be finalised.

Anyone who wants to audition for a part in the movie or who has a building that may of use to the film crew should visit www.inbredmovie.com.