Potter extras told to hand over fees

When the casting director for the latest Harry Potter film began searching for extras in the Highlands, a group of schoolchildren could not believe their luck.

Not only would they get a chance to see themselves on celluloid in the forthcoming Prisoner of Azkaban, they would also make a few pounds into the bargain. Their headmaster had other ideas.

In a ruling more worthy of Dolores Umbridge, hated temporary head of Hogwarts, than its rightful headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, the muggle children's headteacher said the money they made from the film had to go to the school.

Donald Campbell, head of Lochaber High in Fort William, Inverness-shire, told the 14 children that the £1,370 they earned for working as extras when the latest Harry Potter film was shooting in Glencoe would be used for school trips or instruments.

Mr Campbell said that since some of the filming was carried out during school hours it counted as work experience, which council rules state must be unpaid.

At a nearby school, however, the pupils-cum-extras were more fortunate. The headteacher of Kinlochleven High, Jim Sutherland, allowed his pupils to keep the money they made from working on the film over the weekend.

A spokesman for the Highland council said Lochaber High first made its ruling on the payment of pupil extras during the filming of a previous Harry Potter film, Chamber of Secrets, also partly filmed in the Highlands.

"Lochaber have dealt with Warner Bros a lot and have developed a policy where they make a donation to the school fund," said the spokesman. "The two rectors adopted a different policy. It's a one-off situation so we can't legislate for it."