Tight security for Potter author

JK Rowling: A man had been cautioned for writing letters to her

Tight security surrounded Harry Potter author JK Rowling at a London book-signing after it emerged a man had been cautioned by police for harassing her.

Security staff were posted on every floor of Harrods in Knightsbridge at the signing session for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on Monday morning.

Around 150 people were queuing outside the store, some of whom had camped out since Saturday night.

Police cautioned a man in May for writing unwanted letters to the author, and newspaper reports on Monday claimed he had written to her since then.

He was not among the crowd at Harrods.

Thrilled fans

Golden tickets, which entitled customers to signed copies of the book, were available to the first 750 people through the door. Every person who queued managed to get a copy.

Fans were thrilled to meet the author, whose books reportedly made her £14.5m last year.

John Cassidy, 39, from Morecambe, Lancashire, said: "It's for my daughter. She begged me to come along so she could show all her friends - I would have been in real trouble if I hadn't got this today.

"At her school they are doing a chapter every day."

Petra Gyarmaty, 21, from Mainz, Germany, said: "I bought my first ever Harry Potter book when I got rid of some spare English change before I went back to Germany last year.

"From then on I was hooked, and I've bought every single one since."