CROWDS of celebrity spotters continued to converge on Durham today as filming on a superhero blockbuster in the city drew to a close.

For the last week rumours have spread like wildfire about which Hollywood A-listers would be on set at Durham Cathedral for filming of Avengers: Infinity War.

Thor actor Chris Hemsworth has been seen on more than one occasion. And today rumours reached fever pitch that film legend Samuel L Jackson might be in town.

If they knew, directors and brothers Anthony and Joe Russo were giving nothing away at a press conference. Joe said: “We are not at liberty to say. There are cameras, there are some actors, we won’t say who, and every now and then we yell action and have cuts . . . and something happens in between.”

But they made no secret of their awe of Durham Cathedral and their appreciation of the warmth of fans.

Joe said: “It is stunning. It is one of the great cathedrals of Europe. It’s beautiful. Avengers: Infinity War is a movie of incredible scale and scope. And we need locations like Durham Cathedral to satisfy that level of scale.”

He added: “We always appreciate the fans’ support. My brother and I have been out there a couple of times in the last few days to greet them and sent Thor’s hammer out. Marvel doesn’t exist without the fans.”

The Dean of Durham, The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, said welcoming the crew and actors had been a “great adventure” – with worship carrying on seamlessly throughout.

“There are, of course, many parallels between cinema and telling the great stories of faith. Both tell stories of epic proportions of evil and good and the fight of life over death. And of course we in the cathedral tell that Christian story of the conquest of good over evil and we’ve been doing it for a thousand years - and it’s great to see others doing that in a different way in our own day.”

He added: “Tens of millions of cinema goers will now have the opportunity of seeing the cathedral on screen as the cathedral plays its part in promoting the North-East to a worldwide audience.”

Fan Tony Harrison, of Houghton-le-Spring, who met Chris Hemsworth at the Ramside Hall Hotel, said: “He stopped for 40 mins to sign autographs for everybody. He didn’t have to. He is a lovely guy.”

Paul Clark, 33, of the North-East Avengers came dressed in his Captain America costume and was delighted to have his shield signed by the man who designed the original.

Visit County Durham managing director Michelle Gorman, said: “Durham Cathedral will be seen on screens across the world, raising the profile of the destination and attracting those who want to experience the locations for themselves, resulting in a positive impact on our visitor economy.”