By Emily Cooper for the Scottish Daily Mail

Published: 8:56 PM EST, March 8, 2024 | Updated: 06:07 EST, March 9, 2024

Sir Michael Gambon has left his £1.5million estate to his wife, leaving nothing to his girlfriend Philippa, with whom he shared two teenage sons.

The Dumbledore actor, who has died aged 82, openly divided his time between Lady Anne Gambon and set designer Phillipa Hart, who was 25 years his junior.

His will, published on March 5, showed that almost all of his fortune went to his wife Anne.

His long-term girlfriend, Philippa, refused to tell the Daily Mail whether she knew she had been left out of the actor’s will.

But who is the late actor’s long-term girlfriend? MailOnline takes a look into the life of set designer Philippa Hart.

Who is Philippa Hart?

Philippa Hart, known to the public as Sir Michael Gambon’s mistress, is a set designer.

She has helped with sets for a range of iconic films including Nanny McPhee, Scoop, The Likely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, Sense And Sensibility and The Hours.

Her portfolio also includes working on historical drama miniseries A Very British Scandal and Doctor Zhivago.

Michael and Philippa first looked at each other when they were working on the Channel 4 series Longitude over twenty years ago in 2000.

According to The sunthe Harry Potter actor who famously portrayed the iconic character Dumbledore openly referred to Philippa as his girlfriend on the set of Gosford Park.

The set designer, born in 1965, was 25 years younger than the much-decorated actor.

Did Michael Gambon have a wife?

Although Michael openly introduced Philippa as his girlfriend to the likes of Charles Dance and Maggie Smith, the actor was also married to another woman.

In 1962, Michael married wife Anne (née Miller) at the age of 22.

Lady Gambon has a passion for making her own pottery, as well as bookbinding.

The retired mathematician was reportedly devastated by the news of her husband’s extramarital affair.

The couple lived in their £5 million home in Kent for most of their marriage.

However, Lady Gambon briefly left their family home following the news of his relationship with Philippa Hart.

Anne and Michael share a son called Fergus, 60, who is a ceramics expert.

The 60-year-old, who heads Bonham’s ceramics and glass department, regularly appears on the BBC’s Antique Roadshow.

Do Michael Gambon and Philippa Hart have children?

In total, the late actor has three children, one with his wife Anne Miller and two with his girlfriend Philippa.

Michael’s second son, Tom, whom he shares with Philippa, was born in 2007 when the actor was 66 years old.

Their second son Will was welcomed into the world in 2009.

How did Michael Gambon die?

Michael Gambon died on September 28, 2023 at the age of 82 from pneumonia.

It is believed that Sir Michael and Mrs Hart had not been together for some time before his death.

When he died, a statement was released on behalf of Lady Gambon and Fergus which said: ‘We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon.

‘Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, after a bout of pneumonia. Michael was 82.

‘We ask that you respect our privacy during this painful time and thank you for your expressions of support and love.’

Michael was known for his iconic acting roles, including his portrayal of Professor Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter.

The actor signed up to take part in the third film after the actor who originally played the role – Richard Harries – died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2002.

He appeared in every Harry Potter film until the final The Deathly Hallows Part Two was released in 2011.

His film credits include Uncle Pastuzo in Paddington, William McCordle in Gosford Park and Franklin Bean in Fantastic Mr Fox.

He was nominated for thirteen Olivier Prizes, appeared in numerous productions of William Shakespeare and particularly excelled in Othello.

He also starred in a series of popular TV shows and in 1968 won an audition to become the next James Bond in On her Majesty’s Secret Service after Sean Connery dropped out.

However, Michael told producer Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli ‘I don’t have nice hair and I’m a bit fat’ and the role went to George Lazenby.

AN ULTRA-rare first edition Harry Potter novel that was bought for 13p has sold at auction for more than £10,000.

The uncorrected proof copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was purchased at a second-hand store in 1997 together with two other books for a total of 40 cents.

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The title page incorrectly listed the author’s name as “JA Rowling” instead of JK Rowling, and then on the other side as “Joanne Rowling”.

The uncorrected proof copy was one of only 200 copies printed by Bloomsbury 26 years ago.

It has now sold at auction for £14,432.

The seller, 52, originally from London but now living in Italy, said she bought the book at the age of 26 and lived in Crystal Palace.

She said: ‘I didn’t have much money, but I always enjoyed treating myself to a round of second-hand bookshops on Saturday mornings.

“I went to one of my usual haunts, one of the second-hand bookshops just off the main drag in Crystal Palace, in search of some Agatha Christies.

“Piles of books were all mixed up in baskets on the floor with a maximum price of 40 cents.

“The Harry Potter book was in the piles – maybe even by accident – just like the rest Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh etc as far as I remember.

“I bought it as a throw-in with a few other titles – 40 cents for all three. I don’t think I looked at it properly to tell the truth.”

After attracting worldwide attention, it was sold to a private British buyer at Hansons salesroom in Staffordshire on Monday.

The book sold for a hammer price of £11,000, and the premium total was £14,432.

Jim Spencer, the auction house’s Harry Potter book expert, said: “This book deserved to do so well. This proof copy started the Harry Potter phenomenon. This is the very first appearance of the first Potter novel in print.”

Since 1997, the book has gone to China, Taiwan, Britain and now Italy, where it has been packed and unpacked without being read.

“It ended up behind a shelf in my bedroom until,” the owner continued, “for no good reason other than the fact that my children were becoming Harry Potter fans, I went looking for it.

‘Even the children haven’t read it – there are four of them aged from 12 to 25. Unfortunately – or fortunately in this case – they always preferred the movies.

“I was bored one evening scrolling through the Internet when a story popped up about the incredible prices being achieved for Potter books, so I decided to contact Jim Spencer to see if my book would be valuable can be.

“For me to find it when I did was just an enormous amount of well-timed luck for which I will always be grateful and more than a little surprised.”

She contacted Spencer to see if her book was valuable, admitting that “finding it when I did was just a huge piece of well-timed luck for which I will always be grateful and more than a little surprised.”

The remarkable discovery comes just weeks after another ultra-rare Harry Potter book was auctioned for £10,000 after it was mysteriously dumped at a charity.

A generous donor gave away the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the Isle of Wight store, where it was expected to fetch a staggering amount due to the many printing errors.

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ERIK TEN HAG is again under pressure at Manchester United.

The Red Devils’ latest defeat to Fulham meant they have already suffered ten defeats in the Premier League this season.

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It has also put them eight points clear of the top four race.

And it has led to calls from fans to replace the Dutchman at the helm.

But who could replace the former Ajax manager?

SunSport has looked at seven managers who could emerge to take over at Old Trafford under the new direction Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe want to take the club.

Graham Potter

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Graham Potter is already in discussions with Ineos about the takeover of Ten Hag.

The former Brighton manager failed at his last top-flight club at Chelsea but could be given a second chance at another English giant as his reputation remains largely intact.

Thomas Tuchel

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Thomas Tuchel achieved Champions League success with Chelsea, challenging in both the league and cups with the Blues before being prematurely sacked.

Things have not gone well for the German at Bayern Munich as his departure at the end of the season has already been confirmed, although reports suggest he wants the Old Trafford gig if it becomes available.

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Michael Carrick

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The ex-Man Utd midfielder performed well as manager of Championship club Middlesbrough, guiding the team to the play-offs last season.

After losing a large number of key players in the summer Middlesbrough have not reached the same heights in the transfer window, although they remain in the hunt.

Kieran McKenna

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Kieran Mckenna coached in various roles at Man Utd between 2016 and 2021, leaving the club the month after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked for Ipswich.

Since then, the Tractor Boys have become real play-off chasers, with the team sitting third in the Championship, generating a lot of interest from the top flight players.

Zinedine Zidane

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A Real Madrid legend as a player and manager, Zinedine Zidane guided the Spanish giants to an unprecedented Champions League three-string.

The Frenchman has been without a coaching job since 2021, but has since been linked with a host of top clubs, including Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Man Utd.

Gareth Southgate

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Gareth Southgate might be a surprise inclusion on this list if Dan Ashworth wasn’t heading to Man Utd to become the club’s sporting director.

Ashworth and Southgate worked together to create ‘England’ DNA” and laid the foundations for the modern England team, widely recognized as one of the most talented international teams.

Roberto De Zerbi

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Brighton have reportedly opened the door for Roberto De Zerbi to leave the Amex in the summer.

After impressing on the south coast by taking the Seagulls in their first ever European campaign, De Zerbi has attracted a number of suitors from big clubs including Liverpool and Man Utd.

MAN UTD NEWS LIVE: All the latest news from Old Trafford

Meetings between Warner Brothers and JK Rowling can be filled with shouting and tears, it is claimed, as bosses at the entertainment giant brand the author their biggest asset.

The British writer, who wrote all seven volumes of the famous wizard series that sold millions and inspired eight blockbuster films, wields an immense amount of control over the series’ future. She sold the rights to Warner Bros. early in her career – but with clauses that give her considerable clout over how Harry Potter is portrayed on-screen.

What Rowling calls ‘Ministry of Magic’ meetings with execs can became deeply emotional, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some of the twice-yearly conferences have reportedly resulted in tears and a ‘screaming match’, according to the paper. 

The Journal did not say who allegedly got upset, or why. Rowling is said to show exceptional concentration and focus during such meetings and does not look near her phone at all during them.

She also focuses on the smallest details of her empire, once allegedly asking why chocolate sold at the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando was not fair trade. She is said to have taken a dim view of Harry Potter mobile phone games, fearing youngsters would feel pressured into buying add-ons for them. 

Rowling is also said to have threatened to boycott Warner Bros. during tenser encounters with executives, who are currently planning to create a lavish TV series based on the Harry Potter novels. 

Nonetheless – the continued popularity of all things Harry Potter mean she’s considered the jewel in Warner’s entertainment crown and is reportedly referred to as an A+ asset.

The only other two stars in the same firmament are said to be Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg. But Rowling, 58, is seen as Warner Bros. key hope for future success, due to 93 year-old Eastwood’s age and Spielberg’s recent work with other studios.

Rowling is also said to have considered her legacy with her Warner Bros. contract, with a representative appointed on behalf of her estate likely to exert similar control over the Harry Potter universe when its author dies. 

Entertainment analysts credit her continued heavy involvement with the Harry Potter series as the reason for its continued prestige and popularity. 

They point to a glut of poorly-received Star Wars spin-offs made after George Lucas sold the series as evidence of what can happen when a creator sells-out and a once beloved franchise is spread too thinly. 

The self-made author – who Nasdaq reports is worth $1 billion – began writing the Harry Potter series during the early 1990s while she was a single mother living on welfare.

She has been credited with turning a generation of children onto reading, paying the top rate of tax in her native UK and for being exceptionally generous with charitable donations.

But in recent years Rowling has become a controversial figure over her views on transgender rights. She has said she believes that trans women should not have access to some female-only spaces or be able to compete against biological women in sports.

Rowling has also spoken out in support of others who’ve been canceled for sharing such views and spoken of her own sexual assault as evidence of why female-only spaces are so important. 

The controversy saw the stars of her movie franchise – Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint – all distance themselves from her.

Rowling was notably absent from a 2022 Warner Bros. special commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter film’s release.

That sparked speculation of a rupture with Warner Bros. top brass, but insiders insist nothing could be further from the truth.  

CEO David Zaslav flew to Edinburgh in Scotland to meet with Rowling on being appointed to the top job in April 2022.

He and his team hope to turn the Harry Potter books into a lavish TV series that could be the most expensive ever produced and create a whole new generation of viewers for the fantasy series.  

Zaslav attempted to bond with Rowling – few in the WB universe had her ear prior to his takeover – by discussing their childhoods and families in London as he attempts to ‘breathe new life’ into her beloved book series, according to WSJ. 

On an earnings call held Friday, the executive said Max is aiming to debut the new show in the first quarter of 2026, Variety reported.  It is rumored to have a budget of $250 million, making it the most expensive TV program ever made. 

The CEO confirmed on that call that he and a delegation of Warner execs had met with Rowling just weeks earlier. 

Rowling is known to be deeply protective of the franchise, notoriously holding biannual ‘Ministry of Magic’ meetings where she talks to executives – who spend weeks preparing ideas – about what the universe can and can’t do for the future. 

She was also granted veto over any ‘non-author written sequels’ to the series in film and TV that has likely slowed the upcoming series by several years. 

In interviews during the film series’ early days, she’d even publicly told CBS her disdain for action figures, eventually a huge part of the studio’s sales strategy. 

At the beginning of the films, Rowling had signed a deal that had give WB much more control but by the 2010s, she’d negotiated a larger cut from merchandise sales to an ‘understanding’ that she and her associates get a say on who manages the franchise for the studio. 

In recent years, she had become much more distant from the studio. The few who are close to her show-off by calling her Jo (Rowling’s first name is Joanne).

Rowling’s point person and one of her few remaining connections to Warners was Neil Blair, her primary business partner. He had helped write her first contract with the studio as one of WB’s lawyers.

Rowling gave the planned series nod of approval when the show was announced in April, saying: ‘Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me.’ 

It’s part of a continuing world of projects involving her wizards, which include theme parks across the world, a stage show on Broadway and the West End, stores in most major cities and video games, with one based on the fictional game of Quidditch in development. 

Blair said in a statement that they ‘pride ourselves on delivering best-in-class work for fans of the Harry Potter franchise globally.’ 

‘We hope under the new leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery that this will continue together, with the same care and excellence which the franchise has been synonymous with for over twenty-five years.’

Zaslav said of the meetings: ‘We spent some real time with J.K. and her team.’ 

He predicted a world where people continued to enjoy the wizarding world of Harry Potter for generations. 

‘Both sides are just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max.’

AN ULTRA-rare Harry Potter book, bought from a charity shop for just 13p, will sell for an eye-watering £16,000.

The vintage novel was unearthed 27 years ago by an unsuspecting buyer and is now worth a fortune.

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The scarce copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was a combination of a few other books purchased in 1997 for a total of 40 cents.

The version is such an early example that the author’s name is even misstated: “JA Rowling” and “Joanne Rowling” instead of JK Rowling.

The “Uncorrected Proof Copy” was one of only 200 copies printed by Bloomsbury 26 years ago and marked the beginning of the Harry Potter phenomenon.

It was purchased in a London bookshop almost thirty years ago and was taken around the world for years before collecting dust on a bedroom shelf.

The book will now go under the hammer on February 26 at Bishton Hall, Staffs., through Hansons Auctioneers with a guide price of £12,000 to £16,000.

The 52-year-old salesman, originally from London but now based in Bologna, Italy, said: “In 1997, when I was 26, I had just returned to Britain and was living in Crystal Palace in London.

“I didn’t have much money, but I always enjoyed treating myself to a round of second-hand bookstores on Saturday mornings.

“I went to one of my usual haunts, one of the second-hand bookshops just off the main drag in Crystal Palace, looking for some Agatha Christie’s.

“Piles of books were all mixed up in baskets on the floor with a maximum price of 40 cents.

“The Harry Potter book was in the piles – maybe even by accident – just like the rest Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh etc, as far as I remember.”

The owner said they bought it along with two other books as a “throw-in” and only paid 40 cents for it.

Since then it has been to China, Taiwan, Britain and now Italy, where it has been packed and unpacked without being read.

“It ended up behind a shelf in my bedroom until,” the owner continued, “for no good reason other than the fact that my children were becoming Harry Potter fans, I went looking for it.

‘Even the children haven’t read it – there are four of them aged from 12 to 25. Unfortunately – or fortunately in this case – they always preferred the movies.

“I was bored one evening scrolling through the Internet when a story popped up about the incredible prices being achieved for Potter books, so I decided to contact Jim Spencer to see if my book would be valuable can be.

“For me to find it when I did was just an enormous amount of well-timed luck for which I will always be grateful and more than a little surprised.”

Hanson’s book expert Jim Spencer has come across only one similar book, which sold for £18,750 at auction last year.

Jim said: “This book has its own story. It has spread all over the world and cost pennies, not even 40 cents.

“Because it was sold with two other books, it actually cost about 13 cents. The previous uncorrected proof copy I discovered went to a school library.

“I’m not sure how this ended up in a London second-hand bookshop, but you have to remember that this was before the first Potter book was even printed.

“This proof copy is where the Harry Potter phenomenon began. This is the very first appearance in print of the first Potter novel.

“The author signing tours, the midnight lines at the bookstores, the movies, the merchandise — it all stems from this.”

The remarkable discovery comes just weeks after another ultra-rare Harry Potter book was auctioned for £10,000 after it was mysteriously dumped at a charity.

A generous donor gave away the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the Isle of Wight store, where it was expected to fetch a staggering amount due to the many printing errors.

And in December, an extremely rare first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone sold for a whopping £55,000 after being bought for just £10.

The “fantastically well-preserved” edition of the auction achieved the eye-watering price at another sale organized by Hansons Auctioneers at Bishton Hall.

BOOM times are back at Harry Potter book publisher Bloomsbury – thanks to fantasy fiction writer Sarah J Maas.

The company said profits and revenues will be higher than expected if readers pick up its latest novel, House of Flame and Shadow.

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It was a hit in the UK, US, Australia and elsewhere, boosting sales of the author's previous 15 books.

The company's shares rose 7 percent yesterday.

Bloomsbury has six more titles in the pipeline as part of the contract with Maas, who has been with them for more than a decade.

According to Nielsen Bookscan, the fantasy and sci-fi genre in Britain has grown by more than 50 percent in the past five years.

Harry Potter remains one of Bloomsbury's best-selling series.

Top sellers recently included The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac gift book.

Other recent bestsellers include Ghosts, the companion book to the BBC series, and Pub Kitchen by Tom Kerridge.

Thin good

THOUSANDS of price cuts helped home furnishing store Dunelm's half-year profits rise by almost five percent to £123 million.

It warned that “the outlook for consumers remains uncertain” but said it can appeal to customers because it has “a firm grip on operating costs”.

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Boss Nick Wilkinson told The Sun: “We actually cut prices by a few thousand this time last year and over the summer.”

Sales rose 4.5 per cent in the six months to the end of December, while the average price for an item fell slightly to just £14.

On a volume basis (number of items), sales increased by six percent.

Mr Wilkinson said he was pleased with the “wide variety” of new customers, while existing customers were returning “more often”.

The chain employs more than 11,000 employees and four new stores will be opened in six months, bringing the total to 183.

It hopes to open another four this year and the same again next year, with a focus on London and Scotland, where there are gaps in coverage.

It pleased shareholders by announcing a £71m special dividend of 35p per share, to be paid in April.

It says it is on track for full-year profit guidance of £202 million in 2023-2024.

Russ Mold analyst AJ Bell said: “The steady performance is impressive given the pressure on household budgets in Britain. It suggests that the company is finding the right balance in terms of price, quality and product.”

A Lyft of blooper

SHARES in a taxi company Lyft rose more than 60 percent on Tuesday after making a crucial mistake in its results.

Lyft said margins would grow by “500 basis points,” or 5 percent, when it should have said 50 basis points, or 0.5 percent.

Shares fell as bosses confessed.

But shares still finished 16 percent higher on news that cost cuts had been successful.

Lyft cut 1,200 employees last year and cut costs by 12 percent.

A fall in house prices of £4,000

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, the average UK house price fell by £4,000 last year.

It's a drop of almost £11 a day.

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The typical house price in December 2023 was £285,000, 1.4 percent lower than in 2022.

It was also the sixth month in a row with price falls.

Property values ​​fell by 2.1 percent annually in England and 2.5 percent in Wales, but rose by 3.3 percent in Scotland and 1.4 percent in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, London was hardest hit in Britain, with house prices falling 4.8 percent.

Propertymark's Nathan Emerson said the housing market has gone through a period of disruption.

He said: “It means people cannot afford houses in the same way they could during a period of economic growth.”

Private rents paid by tenants also rose by 6.2 percent in the year to January.

Virgo in buyout

FIVE years after teaming up with Abrdn to launch an investment business, major bank Virgin Money is investing £20m to buy out the fund manager.

Virgin Money Investments manages approximately £3.7 billion of client assets and has more than 150,000 client accounts.

Virgin Money, which has around 6.6 million UK customers, said the deal would help it achieve its growth ambitions.

Stocks are buzzing

COCA-COLA'S European bottling company saw its shares rise by almost 8 percent yesterday after posting a record profit of £815 million.

Coca-Cola HBC said sales rose 17 percent last year as there was strong demand for its energy drinks and coffee products.

It increased its dividend by a fifth after initially forecasting earnings would rise 7 percent this year.

It said future growth will be boosted by the purchase of Finlandia Vodka in November for £153m.

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HMRC has told taxpayers to be wary of false tax refund offers.

In the year to January it received 207,800 referrals from the public about suspicious emails, text messages or phone calls.

The number of reports increased by 14 percent compared to the previous year.

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£25m rainy discount

Last year's series of storms will leave North West water supplier United Utilities £25 million worse off, the report says.

High rainfall has negatively affected its performance, meaning it will receive a smaller service payment from water regulator Ofwat.

The company said: “There have been fourteen named storms since the start of 2023, nine of which have occurred since the end of September.”

But the water company will still receive a £40 million Ofwat payment that rewards companies for providing good service to customers.

AN EXTREMELY rare Harry Potter book that was mysteriously dumped at a charity is now selling for £10,000.

A generous donor gave away the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the store on the Isle of Wight.

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The beloved classic book is now expected to fetch a staggering amount of money due to its numerous printing errors.

Staff at the RSPCA charity shop were shocked to find the valuable book on the door of the shop as part of a donation.

Rebecca Busby, an RSPCA fundraising officer at the Isle of Wight branch, said: “The book was donated to one of our charity shops as a possible first edition.

One of the volunteers confirmed it was a first edition after discovering errors on the back cover and in the book.

Rebecca added: “She called me and I could hear her excitement as she said, 'I can't believe we're having a Harry Potter first edition, it is the best condition I have ever seen.

“Can you please find somewhere to sell this as we can't sell it in store.”

The book is part of the first 5,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

All the books were printed with the same errors – including the words 'one wand' printed twice on page 53 and a typographical error on the back cover.

Famous author JK Rowling's name also appears to be misspelled as 'Joanne Rowling'.

Harry Potter expert Jim Spencer of Hansons Auctioneers said the copy could fetch up to £10,000 as it is in excellent condition.

He explained: “This book represents the beginning of the Harry Potter phenomenon.

'Not many paperbacks published in the 1990s have the potential to fetch thousands of pounds at auction.

“No one predicted the enormous popularity of Harry Potter, so these books were printed on cheap paper.

“This, combined with the fact that it is a children's book, means that most examples are in very poor condition and show signs of having been swung around in a school backpack, covered in scribbles, smeared with orange squash, or at least faded at first face. the back against sunlight falling on the bookcase.

“This one is exceptional. The only minor flaws are a few slightly creased corners and the usual light brown edges of the pages, which is actually a reassuring sign due to the cheap paper used. I would be concerned if the pages had this light no discoloration.

“It should appeal to collectors all over the world and the lucky buyer can be doubly happy with this knowledge money raised will help animals like Harry.”

The charity is now hoping to raise £10,000 to help dozens of animals in need of care.

Rebecca said: “We have over 50 at the moment pets in our care – inclusive dogscats and rabbits – and because of the cost of living crisis, we, like many animal protection organizations, are having a hard time.

“More animals are coming into our care as owners struggle to maintain them and fewer people are adopting because of the costs involved.”

Mr Spencer added: “This deserves to fly, especially for such a great cause.

'I hope collectors will be generous with their bids and help the RSPCA.

“It would be very difficult to find another example as well preserved as this example, so it deserves to be wagged at auction.”

The first edition will go on sale at Bishton Hall, Staffordshire on February 26.

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Harry Potter star Emma Watson may have wished she had stayed on the Hogwarts Express after a night out ended with her car being seized by police.

The celebrated actress found herself in trouble after parking her £30,000 Audi A3 'illegally' while enjoying an evening in a pub across the street.

Watson, 33, apparently did not see a 'no parking' sign and did not realize she had left the vehicle outside the entrance to a car park in Stratford-upon-Avon's historic town centre.

To make matters worse, the surveillance led to an irate pizza restaurant manager's own vehicle being stuck in the gated compound for three and a half hours.

The frustrated manager – who had completed a 12-hour shift at pizzeria Red Hot Mamma – searched local restaurants in a failed attempt to locate the owner before calling police, who summoned a tow truck to remove the offending car.

It was only when the blue Audi was towed onto a low loader that Watson was alerted to the real-life tragedy near William Shakespeare's birthplace.

Eyewitnesses told how she 'came flying out of the nearby Rose and Crown pub' when she realized what was happening before pleading with police not to take her car.

In photos obtained by MailOnline, the actress – who wore a black French beret and a long dark coat – is seen at the scene with a police officer present and the tow truck driver dressed in high-visibility overalls.

But it seems no amount of magic could prevent her car from being towed to the compound as her calls to be allowed to take back possession of the car fell on deaf ears.

Watson had to pay a fine of £192 to get her car released and a further £26 for each day the vehicle remained at the police station.

The angry pizza boss, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline: 'I was stuck in the car park for three and a half hours because a blue car was blocking the exit.

'Three and a half hours of searching for the driver was the last thing I needed after a twelve-hour shift.

'The car was parked in front of our gate, a parking ban. I went to every restaurant in the area and asked if anyone owned the car.

'Nobody admitted it was their car, so I had to call the police so they would move the car and I could get out.

'But when the police started to tow her car away, she came flying out of the pub shouting: 'That's my car, that's my car!'

An onlooker told MailOnline: 'It must have been about 11pm when I saw Emma Watson outside in the street.

'The police had seized her Audi A3 and it was loaded into a recovery vehicle. She begged them not to take her car.

“But they didn't listen and it was towed away. Apparently she had parked in front of a fence and blocked this guy for hours.

'Earlier a man had entered the pub to say that a blue Audi A3 had blocked the entrance to a car park. The police came first and then called a recovery vehicle and towed it away.”

Watson has been contacted for comment.

Warwickshire Police confirmed a report had been registered and a blue Audi had been 'taken and seized'.

It comes just weeks after Watson, who is reportedly worth £67 million, appeared to have had an accident in the same vehicle after she was spotted driving the Audi, which had noticeable damage to the front wing and had been repaired together with duct tape.

Watson became one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses after appearing in all eight Harry Potter films.

But she made the decision to step out of the spotlight and take a break from her career after the release of her most recent film Little Women in 2019.

During that time she directed a Prada fragrance commercial and also studied for an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Oxford.