Hundreds camp out for final Potter premiere

Feverish anticipation continued last night as today's premiere in London of the final Harry Potter film drew near. The film will bring to an end the eight-film saga of JK Rowling's boy wizard, a series that has spawned an era of international obsession. Fans camped overnight in Trafalgar Square ahead of the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, sheltering beneath ponchos, tents and coats. Some devotees wore costumes of the character, and Lara Teresa, 16, even travelled from Germany for the occasion.

"I've been here since Tuesday and slept behind the fence in front of the National Gallery," she said. "I skipped school to be here and I'm staying until Sunday. I really should go back to school on Monday."

The film will be screened at three cinemas in Leicester Square, with a red carpet extending down to Trafalgar Square.

Since they began in 2001, the Potter films have generated about £3.4bn at the box office.