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Thousands of Potter books stolen
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The appetite for all things related to Harry Potter shows no sign of abating as police said thousands of copies of the eagerly awaited new book had been stolen. The 7,680 copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" -- worth an estimated 130,560 pounds (about $220,000) -- were taken from a trading estate in Merseyside, north-west England at the weekend, officers said on Tuesday. The books, each weighing two pounds (900 grams), were stolen from a trailer, which was later found abandoned. Police warned anyone tempted to handle copies of the book before its official publication on Saturday they could face criminal charges. "If anyone is offered the book prior to Saturday, or after Saturday at a reduced price they should immediately contact us," said a police spokeswoman. The thefts are the latest crimes connected to Harry Potter. Last month four people were arrested last month in Suffolk, eastern England, in connection with the discovery of two copies of the latest book. The first four books about the teenage wizard have sold almost 200 million copies in 55 languages in 200 countries. Two films have been made out of the first two books, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" ("Sorcerer's Stone" in the U.S.) and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." The first movie brought in almost $1 billion worldwide, making it the second-highest grossing movie of all time after "Titanic." The second film has made almost $800 million. J.K. Rowling, who wrote the first book as a penniless single mother in an Edinburgh cafe, is now richer than the UK's Queen Elizabeth II with a personal fortune estimated at $450 million. By the release of the fourth book, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in July 2000, interest had risen to such levels that book stores around the world were offering midnight parties to welcome customers. The combined first printing in North America and the United Kingdom of that book exceeded 4.5 million copies, which remains a publishing record -- at least until Saturday, when a first printing of 8.5 million copies of "Phoenix" hits bookstores and online retailers. Filming is now under way for the third film in the Harry Potter series. --CNN's Eden Pontz contributed to this report.
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