Woody Allen spent the day on Brighton beach with Ewan McGregor yesterday as the pair shot scenes for Allen's latest film.

Surrounded by an entourage of friends, family, producers and assistants, 70-year-old Allen filmed McGregor on the Palace Pier in front of a giant inflatable slide.

Crowds strained to catch a glimpse of the prolific actor, writer and director at work behind the camera while heart-throb McGregor, dressed in a grey jacket, black jeans and trainers, attracted admiring glances.

Crew members enjoyed a ride on the dodgems and one security guard said they had spent a fortune on ice creams.

New Yorker Allen was shooting in Brighton for two days for the film, known only as Wasp 06 Woody Allen's Summer Project.

He revealed the heat in Brighton had come as a surprise and told The Argus: "Brighton is lovely, the shops are wonderful but it's much hotter than I thought. I've only come here before on scouting trips but I really like it."

He shot scenes with a female actress by the ghost train and the dodgems before heading down to the beach.

Signs warned people they could get wet as jets of water at the side of the pier created rain.

One boy got close to the action by crawling along the metal railings below the pier before jumping into the sea. But as he climbed up to get another look he was chased off by security guards.

Madeira Drive was lined with catering vans and lorries with equipment.

The car park at Black Rock beach was also taped off to the public and used as a base by the crew.

The film also stars Colin Farrell, although the plot is a closely-guarded secret.

One crew member said only three people had copies of the script.

It is believed Farrell and McGregor play down-on-their-luck siblings who end up bitter rivals after they turn to a life of crime.

The majority of the film was shot in London and is expected to be released next year.