Harry Potter books stolen from trailer
Police were today hunting thieves who stole a lorry packed with copies of the new Harry Potter blockbuster.
A trailer containing 7,680 copies of Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix was stolen from a trading estate at Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, at around 10.30pm on Sunday night.
It was discovered abandoned and empty in Salford, Greater Manchester, yesterday afternoon.
Merseyside Police initially thought the value of the haul was in the region of £1m (€1.42m) but later said it was less after receiving fresh information from publishers Bloomsbury.
The eagerly-awaited new book – the fifth in the series – will carry a cover price of £16.99 (€24.20) when it goes on sale this Saturday, though many shops are planning to offer discounts.
The total retail value of the books, if sold at full price, would be around £130,000 (€185,200).
Author J K Rowling is aware of the crime and is being kept closely informed, her agents said.
