LOCAL fans of the Star Wars series who launched a website to host 'quality discussion' about the long-running film franchise have found themselves up close and personal with their hobby as filming for a new production is taking place in Thurrock.

Matt Hudson and Luke Bligh from South Essex launched the Star Wars Sessions website after meeting up in a Basildon coffee shop and now produce weekly updates on all things Star Wars.

And this week they are able to report on something very close to home after learning through 'multiple sources' that filming of Star Wars: Andor is taking place at the former Coryton refinery near Stanford-le-Hope.

Andor is an upcoming television series created by American screenwriter Tony Gilroy for the streaming service Disney+. It is a prequel to the Star Wars film Rogue One.

The website reports: "The shoot itself has been being readied for the past few weeks and these same sources have confirmed the presence of both Tony Gilroy, actor Diego Luna (and various members of the cast) for a principal photography shoot.

"As a side note, a source with close ties to the location informed us that they had spotted what seemed to be a "ship" on the back of a vehicle covered in tarpaulin in the early hours of the morning.

"Based on the description we were given, this would seem to indicate a landspeeder (more akin to the models in the opening chase scenes in Solo) than a ship. The general vibe and aesthetic of Coryton Refinery are entirely industrial, so could we be heading back to Corellia now that Fawley Power Station has been demolished? Maybe the grittier side of Coruscant?

"Or could we be heading to a new location entirely?

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"We'll find out over the coming months, but, one thing is for sure – elements of Andor were shot here in Essex."