THE Bishop of Bolton has dismissed fears that the Harry Potter books are damaging to children.

The Right Rev David Gillet admits he has become a huge fan of the children's books and insists they are harmless fun.

Some Christians have raised concerns that the adventures of an apprentice sorcerer encourage an unhealthy interest in the Occult.

American parents who branded them "evil" have even succeeded in having them banned from school libraries in some parts of the Deep South.

The Rev Gillet said: "There are some Christians who warn against reading the Harry Potter books, saying they encourage people to have an interest in the dangerous world of the Occult.

"I am one of the first to warn people against dabbling in the Occult dabbling.

"Throughout my ministry, I have spent quite a bit of time helping people get unentangled from such things.

"But Harry Potter is nothing to do with all that.

"It's a marvellous fantasy of the battle between good and evil."

Writing in this month's Bolton Parish Church magazine, the bishop suggests J.K. Rowling's novels about the junior wizard are morally sound.

He said: "Harry Potter is a role model to his readers, young and old alike, as he is faced with some difficult dilemmas and handles them, ultimately, in a mature way.

"We're in a fantasy world similar to that evoked by J.R. Tolkein or the Star Wars movies.

"The Harry Potter books draw very clear lines between good and evil, and good ultimately prevails."

The books had American parents in uproar because of "alleged" dark passages containing violence and death.

Clarence Dickert, a member of South Carolina's board of education, said: "Censorship is an ugly word but not as ugly as what I have heard this morning."

But author Rowling herself hit back.

She said: "I haven't met a single child who told me they want to be a Satanist or are interested in the Occult because of the books."