Star Wars trooper storms </p><p>High Court

High Court

It felt like a scene from a galaxy far, far away when a Stormtrooper and other outfits from the Star Wars films stood before a High Court judge yesterday.

The surreal gathering came as a multi-million pound lawsuit was launched by George Lucas, the maker of the movies, against Andrew Ainsworth, who made the helmets and suits for the 1977 original and is selling replicas out of a studio in Twickenham.

Lucasfilm's representative, Michael Bloch QC, told Mr Justice Mann: "The gentlemen sitting in front of me and around me, who are known throughout the world, are the subject matter of the entire case."

He went on: "You will hear a lot about helmets and armour. As far as we know they are half human and half non-human and are known as Stormtroopers. What we are dealing with are characters of the imagination."

Mr Ainsworth is selling the Stormtroopers for up to £1,800. Lucasfilm has already successfully sued him for £10m for copyright infringement in California.

The case continues.