Licence to thrill revoked as plan to project Daniel Craig's 007 image onto Big Ben is rejected

A PR company wanted to project the face of former Wirral-pupil-turned-superstar Daniel - who has played the secret agent since 2006 - onto the clock tower.

The idea was to "celebrate Bond's London heritage" plus the role of Parliament in the climax of Spectre, the latest blockbuster in the franchise, and had been agreed by Commons speaker John Bercow.

Premier Public Relations held talks with the the speaker's office, who provided his backing for the projection involving an image of Daniel as Bond on the clock tower.

Daniel Craig as 007 in Spectre

But Westminster City Council has now refused permission for the project, ruling it is "wholly inappropriate" for images and advertisements to be projected onto historic buildings.

The lights on the east dial of the clock were to be switched off shortly before 7pm on February 22 to allow the Spectre logo to be projected on to it.

Plans submitted to the council added a countdown or "a count up to 007" would have then taken place on the clock face before Bond was projected onto the tower for two hours.

Westminster City Council case officer Jennie Humphrey, in a report refusing advertisement consent the application, wrote: "Projecting images and adverts on the city's historic buildings is wholly inappropriate.

"The imagery would diminish the appreciation of the building compromising its historic integrity.

"By virtue of its size and illumination the advert would also harm the visual amenity of the Westminster Abbey and Parliament Square Conservation Area as well as the Westminster World Heritage Site."

Daniel was born in Chester and grew up in Wirral, attending Hilbre High School and later Calday Grange Grammar.

The actor - who made his stage debut at Hilbre in a school play - has starred in four Bond movies, but reportedly has said Spectre will be his last.

His previous outings as 007 were Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), and Skyfall (2012).