Tom Cruise beckons fans over for photos as he arrives by helicopter in field near Leighton Buzzard ahead of Mission Impossible filming

It's official! Movie star Tom Cruise has been sighted in Heath and Reach this week, as he posed for photos with residents before heading off to film Mission: Impossible 7.

The actor was pictured standing with residents in Heath and Reach Sports Field yesterday (May 12) at 2.30pm, after he landed there via helicopter.

He was then driven to the set inside the LB Silica Sand quarry, Bryants Lane, and it is rumoured that he will be arriving again at a similar time tomorrow afternoon.

Leighton Buzzard eyewitness, Dave Burton, 64, was there to capture the special moment. He said: "He landed and I started walking towards the helicopter. There were about 20 to 50 people. Then he started to beckon to somebody, asking them to come and take a picture - a lot of people were standing back, being respectful.

"He had his mask on, and he would point to the ground and say 'stand there'. He kept saying that he only had a couple of minutes, but he made sure that everyone who wanted a picture got one!

"A lot of people were saying that he was a wonderful actor.

"After the pictures, he said: 'Thank you, have a good day', and off he went."

It is reported that the film star has been arriving in the field during the afternoons each day this week, ready to film night time scenes at the quarry.

Remembering the encounter, Dave added: "One of the girls [at the field] was saying, I still can't breathe, I still can't breathe! She was having palpitations and all that.

"It was over pretty quickly - and it's nice that he initiated the photos.

"He is a small bloke, and he looked very ordinary in his blue jeans and knitted jumper. You couldn't see his face because of the mask.

"I had my timer on my camera, but he didn't go 'for goodness sake' and walk off, he stood there until it was done. He was also chatting to people about their dogs.

"He was thoroughly pleasant. A really nice bloke! You could see his eyes were smiling."

In March, the LBO reported that a film crew would be arriving at the Bryants Lane quarry this spring to work on a project entitled: 'LIBRA', claimed by several entertainment news outlets to be the working title of the new Mission: Impossible film.

Heath and Reach Parish Council had also posted a letter from the film company's assistant location manager, Jack Leary, on its Facebook page, which explained that filming activity would be taking place.

Dave said: "I know that some people who live around the quarry have been offered black out curtains.

"On Monday evening there were big pyrotechnics apparently. My son said that at half 12 at night his whole garden lit up like it was daylight - and he lives two miles away!

"I've heard that you could see drones firing things, streaking out flares."

Dave has also been to take pictures of the set at the quarry, and had invited his 31-year-old son with him yesterday, to see if Tom would arrive in the sports field.

Unfortunately, Dave's son was a little impatient, and after heading to get Dave a flask of tea, came back to find that he had missed seeing Mr Cruise!

It is rumoured that the film star will be arriving in the sports field at around the same time tomorrow.

Dave said: "I don't particularly watch the Mission: Impossible films, but this is one we are going to have to watch!"

Last year, the Radio Times announced that Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 were filming back-to-back, and were originally set to release in the UK on July 23, 2021 and August 5, 2022 respectively.

However, it stated that due to coronavirus, the seventh film’s release date had been pushed back to November 2021.

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