BOLTON fell under the spell of Harry Potter over the weekend as thousands of cinema-goers witnessed the magic of JK Rowling's creation.

Fans went potty for the wizard's first film outing as they flocked to see special previews at the town's two cinemas.

Children packed the UGC Cinema in Astley Bridge and Warner Village in Horwich.

Some wore the infamous Potter glasses while others donned his trademark hat.

And for the makers of the £110 million movie, the reactions from impressed youngsters would have been music to their ears.

Most noticeable was the huge number of schoolgirls pouring through the doors of the cinemas, suggesting Potter is more popular among youngsters of the fairer sex.

They appeared to outnumber the boys by four to one, many probably rushing to see 12-year-old Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the film's hero.

Radcliffe has become an overnight star and was said to have earned £1 million from the film.

Around 3,000 advance tickets were snapped up at UGC Cinema with thousands more buying "on spec".

More than 2,000 people have already booked tickets for this coming weekend and it appears the magic will last for a long time yet.

UGC opened its doors at 8am, allowing children in Bolton to be among the first in the country -- and maybe even in Europe -- to see the film.

The chain decided to show the film at least once every hour and it even screened it at 11.45pm -- for adults who wanted to catch it without the children.

In all, UGC showed the hit movie an astonishing 39 times over the two days while Warner Village played it on 21 screens.

The busy period for both cinemas was in the afternoon but even the England match against Sweden did not deter fans from wanting a glimpse of their hero -- a demand which was not matched even by Star Wars.

The film stars acclaimed British actors including Cracker's Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Richard Harris and Dame Maggie Smith.

The manager of UGC, James Booth, 30, said: "It's been the most anticipated film of all time, there's no doubt about that.

"Not every showing was sold out but the level of excitement was phenomenal and with the film having so many British actors, it is a fine showcase for this country's talent." How fans reacted BRILLIANT: Jessica Heaton, aged 12, right, from Astley Bridge, said: "It was brilliant with loads of action scenes and I really liked the actor who played Harry Potter."

Her sister, Alice, aged nine, far right, added: "There were lots of good bits especially the part where they find the philosopher's stone. I thought it was funny as well." PERFECT: Melissa Hampson, aged seven, from Walkden, said: "It was just like the book. The boy who played Harry was really good and he was just like I imagined him to be."

Her mother, Michelle, 34, said: "We've all read the books and thoroughly enjoyed them. I think I speak for all of us when I say the film was just perfect. It was really magical and great for the kids."

While grandmother, Janice Flanagan, 58, added: "There were many good moments in the film. It was fast-paced and had a wonderful story." SCARY: Amy Mathers, five, said: "When is it coming out on video? The film was a bit scary in places but I loved it." LOVELY: UGC's staff member Sheen Dad, aged 25, from Heaton, said: "It's lovely to see children really enjoying themselves. It's such a good film. It's better than the book." and I would even say it's better than the book and you don't often hear that said."