Taken from the BBC website:

"Thousands of copies of the long-awaited fifth Harry Potter book, worth about £1m, have been stolen from a warehouse in Merseyside.
They were taken from a trading estate in Newton-le-Willows, at 2230 BST on Sunday, Merseyside police have said.

A police spokesman said: "The trailer contained about £1m worth of the new Harry Potter book. We are not sure about the intended destination at this stage."

The books were in a Scania tractor unit and white trailer, which was driven off by a man posing as a depot driver. "

Anyone offered a copy, let me know......................

but it's out on friday?

saturday
00.01am

can't wait for all this to be over and done with, everyone here in head office will have to go and help the shops in the midnight openings, i'll have to go to the canary wharf shop

I wonder.. was this a steal to order book theft, or will there be thousands turning up at car boot sales, dodgy pubs and eBay? :)

not sure they would turn up on ebay because people would know it was stolen goods...

if someone came to me on the st and offered the book to me for a fiver, i might take it though, i wonder if i could be arrested for buying stolen things
;-)

And is Spec-Ops 27 already involved in the hunt for them?

************************************************************

"This was willed where what is willed... can get rather silly."

The stolen van has apparently ended up in Salford, Greater Manchester - 10 mins away from where I work. Shall I go have a look?



A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.

If there were any left at the scene I'm sure that the police will have them safely locked away in their evidence cupboard, no really ;)

The Skania trailer was found to be empty when the police got there. One of my colleagues was surprised it was stolen in Merseyside because he said that the Scousers can't read.

They are his words, not mine before death threats are sent..............

One of my colleagues wondered if the truck still had wheels when it was found
;-)

Remember all the fuss about Star Wars - Attack of the Clones opening last year ? People queuing for days to get tickets to the first showings ?

I happened to be at a local multiplex a couple of weeks before, and they were running a competition to win a pair of tickets to one of the earliest previews in the country - and earlier than the American previews, owing to the time difference. I was having a drink, and sitting near the DJ booth, when the DJ announced the competition and asked the challenging question: "Who played Obi Wan Kenobi, in 'Star Wars - A New Hope' ?" I looked around, no one else was paying much attention, got up, walked about six feet to the DJ booth and correctly answered the question. And was duly given two free tickets for the first public preview of the most anticipated movie of the year.

Only problems was, the showing was at midnight, and I was leaving for Norwich the next morning, as there was a film fair which Paul Darrow would be attending. As I made my way home, I stopped in a local grocery shop and met a friend, also doing a spot of late shopping. Dave was rather pleased to be unexpectedly handed two free tickets to the new Star Wars movie.

LOL! Was he pleased when he actually saw the movie? (I just can't wait for the next one - for continuity they have to kill off over 90% of the cast...)



I drink to drown my sorrows. Unfortunately they've learnt how to swim.

**Stereotypical scouser comment deleted**

[news.bbc.co.uk]

Those Americans are at it again! Some Wal-Mart stores are apparantly selling the Potter books early, and Ms Rowling is sueing a New York paper for publishing details of the plot!



I drink to drown my sorrows. Unfortunately they've learnt how to swim.

Confirmation that people don't have the brains they were born with - chappie selling the book in USA said he didn't know it wasn't due out until 21 June!

And where on earth had he been living for the last few months?????

Methinks that had to be a 'cover my back' bluff - I am sure that the box the books arrived in would have had some very specific instructions in them!



I drink to drown my sorrows. Unfortunately they've learnt how to swim.

The boxes number four came in were very specific about the date, in big red printing as i recall.
"EMBARGOED UNTIL..."

Carla - Good luck with tonight's frenzied opening! Hope that you can survive frazzled parents/excited children/frazzled counter staff and variegated Friday night people in Canary Wharf.

Here distribution time is 9.01 am Saturday morning, which is a much more sensible time to be out shopping. My eight year old has entered a competition at one shop so we'll be there at 9.01, otherwise I'd be waiting til more like 12.01 to avoid the crowds. I'm not looking forward to being caught in the crush.

Thanks beloshka, I will be in Canary Wharf from 8 wearing a wizard hat selling more reservations if people don't want to stay.

Considering I've only just got here from a dentist visit it will be a very loooong day...