Harrison Ford: Star Wars 7 actor 'broke his leg' in accident on set

The 71-year-old has since had successful surgery and is 'doing well'

Harrison Ford is said to be keen to return to work (Getty Images)

Harrison Ford broke his leg when a door fell on him during filming for Star Wars: Episode VII, his publicist has said.

But the 71-year-old actor is “doing well” after successful surgery, following the mishap at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.

Ford was originally thought to have damaged his ankle, but a spokeswoman for the star has now said it was a broken leg. She did not go into any further detail, but said the actor was looking forward to getting back to work.

He was airlifted to hospital after the incident last week, which police said involved a garage door, although there have been suggestions some it could have been the door of Star Wars spacecraft the Millennium Falcon.

His publicist said today: “Harrison Ford's left leg was broken in an accident. His surgery was successful and he will begin rehab shortly. He's doing well and looks forward to returning to work.”

Disney, which owns Lucasfilm, the company behind Star Wars, said after the incident that shooting would continue as planned while the star - also well known for his appearances in Indiana Jones - recovered.

Ford is reprising his role as Han Solo in JJ Abrams' sequel, which will be the first Star Wars title released by Disney, after creator George Lucas sold the rights to the franchise in 2012. Due to reach cinemas in December 2015, it is understood that the film will be set 30 years after the events in the 1983 film Return of the Jedi, the third Star Wars film to be released.

Episode VII will also see the return of the three principal characters from the original trilogy, reuniting Ford with Mark Hamill, playing Luke Skywalker, and Carrie Fisher, playing Princess Leia.

Additional reporting by Press Association