The entire film has a very similar plot to 1937 movie Oh, Mr. Porter! The main character who, unlike Angel, is an incompetent is given a worthless promotion out in the middle of nowhere. In the old film it was a Northern Irish border village which replaces Sandford. After firstly thinking of everyone as backward, benign but cheery it eventually becomes clear that a sinister plot is afoot in Hot Fuzz, gratuitous murder, in Mr Porter, gun-running for Irish Republicans. Mr Porter then drums up his up-until-then useless work colleagues and rid the village of the schemers by getting them all arrested. Really, you must admit that the bare bones of the plot are striking in their similarities. Its likely that a film buff of Wrights calibre would have seen it one of one-time British film icon William Heys best works, the film features regularly on best classic film lists and is one of film critic colossus Barry Normans favourite movies.