Ricky Tomlinson is plagued by neighbours from hell in the film

The Liverpool-born actor sent �100 to three extras from the north-east of England who worked on the 1999 film Nasty Neighbours - but who were never paid.

They had written to complain that they had received no payment for the work on the film, which was shot on Tyneside.

The black comedy was the debut production from Newcastle-based Ipso Facto and was praised when it was premiered in Venice.

Tomlinson also picked up a best actor award for his role as a householder plagued by neighbours from hell at the Stockholm film festival.

But four years on, angry extras from the film have not received payment from Ipso Facto.

Tomlinson said he sent the money because he thought the extras had been treated unfairly.

They could not have made the film without us, yet they have treated us so badly George Rowe

He said: "They wrote to me to say that they had not been paid, so I sent them �100 each.

"The film companies should not be allowed to get away with it.

"People should not be working for free, particularly in the film industry because when a film makes it, everyone involved will make a fortune."

George Rowe, 73, from Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, said he was furious about how he and the other extras from the film were treated.

He said: "They could not have made the film without us, yet they have treated us so badly and we have not even been thanked. I am furious."

'It won awards'

A spokesman for Ipso Facto said the extras were not paid because the film did not make a profit.

He said: "All the extras were made to sign a deferred payment agreement and I think people have misunderstood that agreement.

"The film has not made a profit and even people like myself who invested quite considerable sums have not received anything either.

"Although it won awards it did not get a massive release and it takes a lot of money for a film to break even.

"Feature films are very expensive to make and you have to make a lot of sales to make money on them."

But Tomlinson said: "To say you can have a part in a film but are not going to get paid for it unless it makes money, is like saying to people to go down the mines and telling them they will only get paid if they bring back coal."