Vandals ruin the magic of Harry Potter inspiration

Graffiti daubed over street behind books' Diagon Alley

- By Elizabeth Hunter

VANDALS have sprayed graffiti along an iconic street that inspired some of the most famous scenes in the blockbuster Harry Potter books and films.

At least nine shops were damaged by yobs daubing their signature “tags” on windows, doors and walls in Edinburgh’s historic Victoria Street.

The colourful cobbled location awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1995 is said to have given Potter author JK Rowling the idea for Diagon Alley in her books.

She reportedly wrote much of the first tale, Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, in a nearby cafe.