A handwritten postcard by J.K. Rowling containing a prequel story to the Harry Potter saga has been stolen in a burglary.
The 800-word story, written on both sides of an A5 card, sold for £25,000 (€30,000) at a charity auction at Sotheby's in 2008.
The manuscript was stolen along with various jewellery from a property in Birmingham in England during a break-in last month.
West Midlands Police have issued a plea for information in the hope that "the appeal goes far and wide among Harry Potter fans throughout the world".
Author J.K. Rowling posted her own appeal on Twitter on Friday, writing:
PLEASE DON'T BUY THIS IF YOU'RE OFFERED IT. Originally auctioned for @englishpen, the owner supported writers' freedoms by bidding for it. https://t.co/ljEQyyj9yY
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 12, 2017
"The only people who will buy this unique piece are true Harry Potter fans," a police investigator said.
"We are appealing to anyone who sees, or is offered this item for sale, to contact police."
Reportedly set three years before Harry Potter's birth, the prequel features the schoolboy wizard's father, James Potter, and godfather, Sirius Black, when they were teenagers.
They are confronted by two "muggle" policemen after a high-speed motorbike chase but manage to escape on broomsticks.
The prequel was among several works donated by authors - including Rowling, Sebastian Faulks and Doris Lessing - to the auction held in 2008.
