 THOUSANDS of copies of the new Harry Potter blockbuster have been stolen from a warehouse in Merseyside. Crateloads of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, due to be released on sale at midnight on Friday, had been stored in a lockup in Newton le Willows. But thieves broke into the warehouse in Earl street and drove away a lorry packed with 7,680 books worth £130,000. The trailer was later found empty in Salford, and a massive police investigation has been launched. A spokeswoman for publisher Bloomsbury called for anyone with information to contact the police. She said: "As the books have been stolen, anyone buying or selling them could face criminal charges. Any member of the public with any information should contact Merseyside police or Bloomsbury. "An injunction is already in place preventing any publication of the contents or summary of the book prior to June 21." There had earlier been confusion about the number of books stolen. Merseyside police initially thought the load had been worth £1m. They blamed the publishers for the mistake who, in turn, blamed Merseyside police. The books were destined for Asda stores across the North West, and there were fears the theft could lead to a shortage of books in the region. Many bookshops are opening at midnight on Friday to allow fans to get their copies at the earliest available opportunity. But a spokesman for Asda said there would still be enough to go round. He said: "Customers need not worry as we have plenty of copies for our stores." Merseyside police have sent out appeals across the globe. " In an interview with Jeremy Paxman to be screened tomorrow , author JK Rowling reveals how she was moved to tears as she killed off a key character. The identity of the person is the most closely guarded secret in the literary world. Rowling, 37, told of the moment her husband, Dr Neil Murray, found her in tears at their home. But even he has no idea who it might be. "I walked into the kitchen crying," she said, "and Neil said to me, 'What on earth is wrong?' and I said, 'I've just killed the person'. Neil doesn't know who the person is. "And he said, 'Well, don't do it then'... and I said, 'Well, it just doesn't work like that'. You are writing children's books, you need to be a ruthless killer." | 
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