Peaky Blinders is looking for sites in Wolverhampton. Here's one location being considered

• Subscribe to Express & Star Plus now for just £1 a month for 12 months for exclusive content and an ad-free website. Visit expressandstar.com/subscribe for our Black Friday offer

Creator Steven Knight said two further series would be set in post-war Birmingham, with a new generation of the Shelby family exploiting the opportunities of a new city emerging from the devastation of the conflict.

Previous series had been filmed extensively at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, and the forthcoming Peaky Blinders movie includes scenes filmed by the canal at Bumble Hole Nature Reserve, in the Netherton area of Dudley. 

But this time a 'spotter' for the new series has been seen eyeing up the area around St John's Church, off Snow Hill in Wolverhampton.

It is understood that the spotter, a young woman, was looking for a location which featured a church in an old-fashioned looking street. The approach to St John's Church, from George Street, a Georgian tree-lined avenue, was deemed as being ideal for a filming location. It also has the advantage of a secluded backwater location, which would allow for filming in relative privacy, without the need for major traffic disruption. 

Knight, who last year opened a new studio in the Digbeth area of Birmingham, said the Peaky Blinders story would pick up in 1953, where the battle to win the contract for Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions.

“I’m thrilled to be announcing this new chapter in the Peaky Blinders story," he said. "Once again it will be rooted in Birmingham and will tell the story of a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz. The new generation of Shelbys have taken the wheel and it will be a hell of a ride.”

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added: “This game-changing show made a huge impact when it first came to our screens 12 years ago and it is one of the BBC’s most-loved dramas. Steven has worked his magic once again and I can’t wait for his scripts to be brought to life when filming begins in Birmingham. We are delighted to be working with Kudos, Garrison Drama and Netflix on this epic show. There’s plenty of drama for Peaky fans to look forward to!”

Richard Parker, elected mayor for the West Midlands, said Peaky Blinders was a worldwide phenomenon that had boosted the region's tourism and global reach.

"We're proud to be working with the team bringing the production back to the Shelbys’ home of Birmingham and job opportunities will follow for local people to become part of this story," he added. 

"It’s this sort of backing from some of the biggest names in entertainment that will turn the West Midlands into the creative capital of the UK.”