Monday 23 May 2022 10:10 AM Rowan Atkinson upsets Cotswolds neighbours with fireworks for his girlfriend's ... trends now

A birthday party for Rowan Atkinson's girlfriend wrought havoc on a sleepy Cotswold village at the weekend after its fireworks were mistaken for a Russian invasion and allegedly left nearby pets 'traumatised'. 

Dogs ran away from their homes and cats were reportedly left 'spooked' during the event at the Lucknam Park hotel and spa near Chippenham on Saturday, organised by Atkinson, 67, for his actress girlfriend Louise Ford's 40th. 

In scenes more akin to Atkinson's iconic characters, including the bumbling Mr Bean and hapless British spy Johnny English, the seemingly innocent event caused chaos among some of the local populace. 

Far from being a 'cunning and subtle' plan, as Atkinson's scheming Blackadder would have hoped, residents in Colerne, home to the Azimghur Barracks, feared Vladimir Putin had extended his war in Ukraine to Britain. 

One wrote on a Facebook page that they 'honestly thought the base was under attack'. 

The Lucknam hotel offers 'equine therapy' and has 30 horses housed in on-site stables, leading one local to urge the RSPCA to launch an investigation, adding: 'It sounded like we were under attack from Russia, you deserve to be shut down.' 

Despite management warning locals of the birthday bash, including in various Facebook posts, many residents said they were caught off guard.