ACTOR and historian Sir Tony Robinson became embroiled in a bizarre exchange on Twitter after a mix-up over payment for coffee at a York cafe following a visit to the city.

Mr Robinson, who played Baldrick in Blackadder throughout the 1980s, was in York this week exploring the Minster to film scenes for his new show on English cathedrals.

While in the city, Mr Robinson and his producer apparently visited Goodramgate cafe Coffee Culture on Wednesday and enjoyed a coffee and some food, the cafe’s owner William Thompson said. But the cafe tweeted to the presenter on Friday to say he and his producer had forgotten to pay for their purchase.

The cafe explained on Twitter: “Basically Tony came in with his producer on Wednesday and when it came to pay when leaving his producer said they would be in the following day to pay, they didn’t come back, so we tweeted to ask for payment.”

Twitter users got involved, with some criticising the cafe for approaching the star publicly.

But the cafe tweeted: “I went to where they had been filming but they had left York, I’m sorry we had no other way of contacting them.”

In an effort to resolve the situation, Mr Robinson tweeted: “I’m in Durham now, but I phoned my producer who I think is still in York, and asked her to pop in and pay you. Then can we be friends again and put this whole ghastly hell behind us?”

Mr Thompson said that the producer has since been into Coffee Culture and paid.

He added: “For people to criticise us is unfair as we were just asking for payment.”

York Minster’s official Twitter page posted pictures of Mr Robinson finding out more about how the attraction’s stained glass windows are made and interviewing staff.

The actor posted a picture of the new Minster grotesques, which were restored and put in place 60ft up the South Quire Aisle in September.

Mr Robinson and his crews spent five days in the city for his new show before moving onto Durham.

At the moment the show is untitled and it is not known when it will air.