A man who has produced everything from Hollywood blockbusters to art-house movie classics and championed the UK film industry for more than half a century is being honoured by the University of Hertfordshire.

Paul Hitchcock, who was born in Borehamwood, has been making films since 1963, and been involved in the film industry overall for 70 years.

When working as the UK-based Head of Production for Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros, Mr Hitchcock oversaw projects with combined budgets of more than £1 billion.

His cinematic CV includes everything from being executive producer on the first two Mission Impossible films with Tom Cruise to working on more personal projects such as Gorillas in the Mist.

Despite having such a storied and successful career in the film industry, Mr Hitchcock ranks his award from the University as one of his life’s greatest honours.

He said: "It was wonderful a surprise and an honour to be notified that I was to receive an honorary degree from the University of Hertfordshire. This far surpasses anything else that has happened during my long career in the film industry."

He started his career in the Rank Organisation Pinewood and Denham Studios in 1946 and has championed using UK film crews and facilities ever since.

He has helped bring major film projects to UK studios such as Pinewood in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire’s own Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. Both studios are now regularly used for many large-scale blockbusters, such as the latest Star Wars franchise.

Some of his more recent titles include Fred Claus and Superman, both of which were made out of Pinewood, and The Man in the Iron Mask, The Saint, and Batman, which feature Hertfordshire landmark, Hatfield House.

Whilst Mr Hitchcock has oversaw productions across the world he says many major films have their roots firmly set in Hertfordshire: "Over the many years I have worked in film production it has been my honour to work on numerous productions all over the world.

"Some were set up and filmed in Hertfordshire, either in the studios or the many local locations that suited our requirements for both exterior and interior scenes.

"We always received great co-operation from the local council and various businesses."

Such has been Mr Hitchcock’s dedication to the UK film industry, after completing 70 years in the business, he received a letter from former Prime Minister David Cameron, congratulating him on the achievement.

He recalls: "I started working with Norman Wisdom and ended working with Tom Cruise, both the same size but with different statuses."