­­­­Paris is restricting the filming of action movies in the wake of the recent terror attacks that left 20 people dead.

There are fears among officials that actors could be mistaken for police, with chase scenes filmed on the French capital’s streets confused with the real thing by the public.

Filming outside scenes with police, army or security services was quietly banned after the attacks.

Sylvie Barnaud, the police official who grants outside filming permission in Paris, said: “There’s a problem with these action-type scenes, as the actors in uniform could be targets for terrorists. Also, the actors could pose confusion for the public during this highly sensitive period.”

Barnaud does not know how long the ban could last, but tensions remain high in Paris, with armed police and soldiers still posted outside sensitive sites, including synagogues, media offices and major shopping areas.

The photogenic city has long been a favoured filming location, especially for chase scenes that feature some of the world’s most recognisable landmarks.

The actors could pose confusion for the public during this highly sensitive period

Luc Besson’s 2014 box office hit Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson, features a police chase next to the Louvre which would not be permissible under the new rules.

William Trillaud, set fixer for the movie, said: “Had Luc Besson wanted to film this now, it would be impossible.”

[attach id=403166 size="large"]French actor Jean Reno in John Frankenheimer’s 1998 thriller Ronin, partly shot in Paris.[/attach]

The same may have been true of 2014’s blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow, which was partly filmed in the French capital, staring Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise.

Further back in film history, Matt Damon’s famed Mini Cooper chase in The Bourne Identity (2002) would not have been allowed, nor would the gun battle at the Pont Alexandre III in the 1998 thriller Ronin, starring Robert De Niro.

Several productions have already been disrupted, including Flics Tout Simplement (Simply Cops), which was supposed to feature a scene involving a police officer outside a school. Scenes involving religious sites or schools, both protected under the emergency security plans, are also banned.

Film unit director Stephan Guillemet said: “Yes, we were meant to film this scene. But it wasn’t allowed. Of course, we have to respect the new rules, and we changed the production plan.”

Paris has just held its annual film set fair, hoping it will continue to attract big productions. The green light was given to 1,159 film productions in the French capital last year alone.

Agnes Naggeotte, of the Cinema Mission of the City of Paris, said: “It could have an impact on the big American productions... It’s not the right moment to do it.

“Even if Steven Spielberg wanted to film a big scene with police and a shoot-out in the streets in January, I’m sure it would not have got made.”