THERE’LL be no timbers shivering in Shambles this year after it emerged that the new Pirates Of The Caribbean film was being filmed elsewhere.

Traders, and no doubt one or two female fans, had been hoping to see Cap’n Jack Sparrow – aka Johnny Depp – swaggering down Shambles as part of filming for Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the franchise.

Blackbeard Productions Ltd had considered York as a British location for the film, but has now decided against it, scuttling the hopes of many.

Paul Barrett, York’s city centre manager, said it was disappointing news and he was currently trying to get some feedback from the producers as to why York missed out.

He said: “Whether it was too costly or impractical I don’t know, but it’s a disappointment. We saw it as a big coup and it would have brought extra visitors in. Some you win and some you lose, but whatever their reasons were I hope they share them with us.”

Most of the scenes for the film will be filmed in Hawaii, but St Ives in Cornwall has been chosen for some of the scenes, while Pinewood Studios will be used for others.

Mr Barrett said he understood the scenes which were to be filmed in York would now be filmed in a studio, so it was not as if another town or city had beaten York to the treasure.

Shambles already has recent experience as a film set, with scenes for a TV drama Robinson Crusoe, starring Sean Bean, being filmed there, along with several other York locations, in 2008.