HARRY Potter mania hit York this morning with children and adults camping outside bookshops in a desperate attempt to grab the first copies of the trainee wizard's fourth adventure.

The White Rose book shop on Newbiggin, in Malton, opened an hour early for the occasion. Manager Jenny Richards commented: "We have been open an hour and we have already sold half a dozen copies."

Outside Borders Bookshop in York today a queue of children and adults waited for the shop to open at 8am but in the end it opened half an hour early.

Isla Perry, nine, who attends Hemplands Primary School, said: "I like them because they've got loads of adventures in them."

Her father, Campbell, said: "Isla has to be told to put the book down and go to bed. I think she's suffering from Harry Potter fatigue syndrome."

Gillian Harrison, a teacher at Rochdale Road junior school, Scunthorpe, came to York especially to get a copy to read to her class.

She said: "I've thought about practically nothing else for the last two months.

"Anything that makes a kid pick up a book has to be a good thing and I'm also a bit sad because I wanted to be the first out of my friends to get hold of a copy."

Elizabeth McBurnie, of Easingwold, was there to buy the book for her 11-year-old son David. She said: "He loves it so much he'd be so disappointed if he didn't go to school with a copy. It's got more street-cred than Pokemon cards."

Meanwhile at Waterstones 9-10, in York, around 30 people were waiting for the shop to open at 8.30am. Some had been there since 5am. The first ten got a golden ticket to get their book signed by the author JKRowling in a train at the National Railway Museum.

And down the road at Waterstones 28 a queue of 50 people mounted up before opening. They had reserved books and their names were to be put into a hat with the chance of winning one of 50 golden tickets which would entitle them to meet JKRowling.

Paul Doughty, manager of Waterstones 9-10 said: "It's far bigger than Harry Potter three."

PICTURE TOP: THESE sisters were so keen to get their hands on the first copies of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that they camped outside Waterstone's bookshop in York for three -and-a-half hours early today.

Joanna Foulsham (centre), 12, together with Frances (left), 14, and Ella, 12, were dropped off by their father, Peter, armed with mobile phones and warm clothing to make sure they were the first through the door and eligible for one of ten golden tickets entitling Joanna to have her book signed by author J K Rowling.