A SIGNED collection of Harry Potter books, including a rare first edition, were bought on eBay yesterday by an American bidder for £3600.

Author J. K. Rowling gave the books to Tayside firefighter Gordon McKenzie as part of his drive to raise cash for the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund and the MS Society.

The author, who owns a mansion near Aberfeldy, has already given to her local charity and responded to Divisional Officer McKenzie’s request for a single item to be raffled by sending him a full set of signed hardback copies.

They were put up for sale on Internet auction site eBay and, after a few days of frenzied speculation, went for £3600 when bidding closed at 8 am yesterday. The buyer is a woman living in California.

The money will be split evenly between the two charities—J. K. Rowling is patron of the MS Society—and DO McKenzie intends to raise even more money when he undertakes a sponsored parachute jump in September.

Margaret Barnes, Scottish fund-raiser for the FSNBF, said she was delighted with the amount raised. “I am thrilled to bits,” she said. “It was wonderful of J. K. Rowling to donate a full set of books, especially since I understand she doesn’t sign as many books as she used to.

“Gordon will have no excuse not to jump now!”

DO McKenzie, who is temporary head of operations in the Perth area, said the amount raised had more than doubled the reserve price.