Harry Potter: Fans celebrate wizard's birthday

Harry Potter fans have been celebrating the character's birthday with movie marathons, outfits and 'butterbeer'.

The popular wizard, created by author JK Rowling, was given the date of birth 31 July 1980.

It is 26 years since the the first book in the series, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, was released.

Fan Danny Dawkins, from Kent, said the books and characters will "live on for hundreds of years in the same way as Shakespeare's work has".

Crystal, from Essex, has passed her own childhood love for all things Potter on to her five-year-old daughter Blair.

The pair are spending 31 July "playing Harry Potter and dressing up".

Crystal said: "I'm getting to relive my childhood memories through Blair, which is quite lovely."

She put out an appeal on a Facebook post for memorabilia relating to the wizard.

"We were gifted items like a sorting hat, a platform nine-and-three-quarters light, Harry and Hermione teddies, a Hogwarts' pillow and blanket," Crystal said.

Mr Dawkins has been a fan since he was around seven and said his first time reading one of the books from the series was a "magical experience".

He has a collection of "hundreds" of Harry Potter items including figurines, Lego, wands and books.

He said: "My eighth birthday is the earliest memory I have of Harry Potter and I got some figurines and I was absolutely obsessed with them.

"That has led to me collecting the hundreds and hundreds of pieces that I have today."

Speaking about Harry Potter's birthday, he said he plans to have a Harry Potter movie marathon.

He said: "I will just sit back and watch the Harry Potter films and get some Potter snacks, and possibly make some butterbeer."

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