Paul Whitehouse is putting down his fishing rod to become the caretaker of Hogwarts for a decade as a crop of British actors were confirmed for the forthcoming Harry Potter television series.

Whitehouse will take on the recurring role of Argus Filch, the curmudgeonly caretaker of the school of witchcraft and wizardry who has gripes against Potter and his fellow pupils.

The actor, who stars in the BBC’s successful Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series will join fellow Britons Paapa Essiedu, Janet McTeer, Nick Frost and Luke Thallon in the HBO adaptation.

Paul Whitehouse takes over from David Bradley

There is likely to be a near complete changing of the guard among the actors for the new adaptation, which is due to start filming in Hertfordshire this summer and designed to run