Bookies ban Bond bets

Bookmakers have decided to stop taking bets on who will play the new James Bond after a string of wagers on Colin Salmon.

11:17 02 December 2004

Bookmakers have decided to stop taking bets on who will play the new James Bond after a string of wagers on Colin Salmon.

Ladbrokes are concerned that punters have inside knowledge that Salmon will be named as the first black 007 and have pulled the plug.

The betting giants took six bets of up to 500 each in an hour-long period yesterday, prompting fears that they could fall victim to a sting.

Salmon was originally seen as a 20-1 outsider for the role, with film giants Eric Bana, Colin Farrell and Christian Bale viewed among the favourites to take over from Pierce Brosnan.

But those odds crashed to 6-1 after the run of punters backing the 42-year-old.

Salmon has played M's right-hand man in the last three Bond films and was also used as a Brosnan stand-in during auditions.

"In the last 24 hours we have had a number of inquiries about Colin Salmon being the next Bond," a Ladbrokes spokesman said.

"We have been forced to close the book for the time being. We are inclined to believe that there is something fishy going on and there are spies out there who know more than we do."