A notorious director has been remembered with a plaque to in honour of his contribution to British cinema.

A panel celebrating the work of Alfred Hitchcock was unveiled on Monday outside Elstree Studios in Shenley Road.

It was unveiled by Hertsmere Borough Council members Councillor Alan Plancey and Councillor Caroline Clapper with local legend and film historian Paul Welsh.

This is the 28th panel put up as part of the First Impressions initiative, a group which started in 2008 to commemorate the town’s cinema heritage.

There wasn’t a shadow of a doubt that the Leytonstone-born film legend was deserving of such a dedication after making history in the studio.

Blackmail released in 1929 was the first British sound film to be released. It was initially made as a silent film, but was reshot with the use of the new technology.

He was signed to Elstree British International Pictures in the late 1920s, but moved on to make films in Hollywood in the 1930s.

He returned to the area to make films in the former MGM Studios what is now Elstree Studios including Jamaica Inn, Stage Fright and Under Capricorn.

Cllr Clapper, responsible for leisure and culture, said: “Sir Alfred Hitchcock created so many films while working here as well as in Hollywood, but we should never forget what a pioneer of cinema he was.

“Blackmail is a key part of his legacy, a milestone in the development of the UK film industry as well as our local film studios.”