The mounting Halo 3 hype and hysteria that’s presently sweeping the globe looks to have sown the seeds of worry in the minds of London’s Westminster Council this week following news that the proposed midnight retail launch of Bungie’s sci-fi spectacular has been blocked in light of concerns related to potential crowd trouble.

An article offered up by ComputerAndVideogames.com (CVG) reports that Westminster Council’s decision was largely based on the worry that an overwhelming amount of eager and expectant Halo fans might appear in the city’s central Oxford Street shopping stretch as midnight ticks by into Wednesday, September 26.

While leading high street retailer HMV has apparently claimed to have absolutely no knowledge of any planned midnight launch in Oxford Street to help usher in Microsoft’s flagship next-generation release, an unnamed employee at videogame stockist GAME explained that the council, “won’t allow a midnight launch,” and that Oxford Street’s GAME store will therefore begin selling Halo 3 during its usual opening hours next Wednesday.

However, Westminister Council’s decision to prevent the Oxford Street stores from holding midnight events for Halo 3 is not likely to prevent plenty of other retailers located throughout London and across the country from opening their doors to feverish Halo fans clambering to once more step into the boots of the Master Chief and ‘finish the fight’ first started back in Halo: Combat Evolved.

“Halo 3 launches in the UK on Sept. 26, and although we are not going to be running any official midnight opening events along London’s Oxford Street (due to Westminster Council concerns of huge crowds) we are pleased to confirm that over 1,000 retailers around London and the rest of the UK will be opening up at midnight to ensure fans can get their copy of Halo 3 as soon as humanly possible,” outlined Microsoft’s head of gaming and entertainment, Stephen McGill.

McGill also revealed that on Tuesday, September 25 (the day Halo 3 officially hits retail in North America) the British Film Institute’s massive IMAX screen will play host to an event that will see a selection of lucky Halo fans and a collection of celebrities facing off in Halo 3’s multiplayer. Those interested in taking part in the Halo 3 event – staged on the UK’s largest cinema screen – can win tickets by visiting Xbox.com or via giveaway promotions set to be held by the Daily Telegraph newspaper (Saturday 22) and Kiss FM radio (Tuesday 25).