Harry Potter’s £30k windfall

A FATHER of three called Harry Potter is set to rake in up to £30,000 when he sells a rare copy of JK Rowling’s first book.

Mr Potter, pictured, was aged eight in 1997 when his father bought him a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone because his son’s name was in the title. The sales manager says he has long had trouble convincing people that his name really is the same as the fictional boy wizard.

Mr Potter, 33, from Waterlooville, Hampshire, said: ‘When I was a young footballer, a referee threatened me with a red card for saying my name was Harry Potter.’

Mr Potter’s hardback copy was one of only 500 made in the first print run of the novel which was released in June 1997.

After his father died in 2017 he decided to sell the book to raise money to scatter his ashes in Africa. It will be sold at Hansons Auctioneers on October 7 with a guide price of £20,000-£30,000.