Harry Potter: armed police swarm Leicestershire hotel after mistaking replica wand for knife

Firearms officers swarmed a large hotel near Leicester over the weekend following reports that a man was carrying a large knife - which in stead turned out to be a Harry Potter wand.

Officers were called to the hotel in Enderby on the morning of Sunday, February 11 after Leicestershire Police received reports that the man was carrying the weapon near the lift inside the building. A "number of armed officers" were called to the scene also, however it was "quickly established that it was a Harry Potter fan with a wand", according to police.

In an update on the local police Facebook page for the district Blaby, where the hotel was located, police said: "Following enquiries we quickly established that it was a Harry Potter fan with a wand. Thankfully no harm was caused to any resident & there was no sign of 'Voldermort'."

The humorous mix-up has seen Harry potter fans get in on the fun, with one replying in the comments 'are you being sirius?', in a reference to character Sirius Black. Another poked fun at the attending officers, putting their own spin on a famous spell from the beloved book and film series, saying: "EXPECTO PATROL-MAN!"

A Harry Potter-themed afternoon tea event was being held at a garden centre nearby on the day of the incident. However, it is not confirmed whether the fan did attend the event or was planning to attend while he was staying at the hotel.