Women held over rare Potter book theft

A 36-year-old woman was arrested today by police investigating the theft of a limited first edition of a Harry Potter book.

An edition of Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone worth around £6,000 was taken from a display in the Creative Art Gallery in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, on October 30.

It was handed to police after a keen-eyed member of the public found it inside a plastic bag outside a Boots store in Bury Street, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, on Monday.

Earlier this week, Thames Valley Police circulated CCTV images of a man and a woman wanted in connection with the theft.

As a result of around 20 calls received, a woman from the Woodstock area was arrested on suspicion of theft this morning and is being held at Abingdon police station.

Inquiries are continuing to find the man in the CCTV images, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police said.

Pc Geoffrey Allen, of Witney police station, said: "I am delighted the book has been recovered. It is a limited edition with only 300 to 500 copies ever published.

"The book will be returned to its rightful owner in due course.

"Our investigation is continuing and we are doing all we can to locate the man pictured in the CCTV images."

The book's owner, Adrian Greenwood, from Oxford, said he was "very happy" at the discovery and thanked police for their help.