Spectre: James Bond back in action as Daniel Craig and Rory Kinnear film in London

The actors were spotted riding a speed boat down the River Thames this week

Daniel Craig and Rory Kinnear film Spectre in London (Rex Features)

James Bond is officially back in action after lead actor Daniel Craig was spotted careering down London’s River Thames on a speed boat early yesterday morning.

Filming for upcoming 007 film Spectre has already begun, with Rory Kinnear joining Craig on his fast-paced journey as fictional MI6 chief of staff, Bill Tanner.

Daniel Craig and Rory Kinnear enjoy a Spectre speed boat ride (Rex Features)

Both men were wearing suits for their roles as they shot scenes in front of the capital’s famous Secret Service MI6 Headquarters.

Filming begins on Spectre outside the MI6 Headquarters in London (Rex Features)

Sam Mendes is directing Spectre, the follow-up to 2012’s Skyfall and previous Bond movies Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale.

The first details of the hotly-anticipated film were announced earlier this month in an live announcement from Pinewood Studios.

The title, cast members, new car, filming locations and release date were all revealed as well as this brief synopsis:

"A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind Spectre."

Bond fans will remember Spectre (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) from Ian Fleming's novel Thunderball and the movie Dr No.

Spectre was led by Ernst Stavro Blofeld and its logo was an octopus - as echoed in the film's first promotional poster.

Further details of Spectre were leaked by Sony Pictures hackers last week, with emails revealing financial issues surrounding the movie as well as a major plot spoiler.

Spectre is due for UK release on 6 November 2015.