JK Rowling in airline security tussle

Harry Potter author JK Rowling was almost prevented from boarding a flight when she refused to let the manuscript for the final book of the series out of her sight.

The British writer, whose Harry Potter books have sold approximately 300 million copies worldwide, was adamant that she would not place her notes in her check-in baggage, so worried was she that the work would be lost or secrets would be leaked.

The dispute arose because of the current baggage restrictions that were imposed after police foiled an alleged terrorist plot in the U.K. in August. Stringent rules relating to hand luggage onboard planes have now been in force for several weeks and security officials at JFK airport were eager to comply.

Eventually relenting, they allowed Rowling to take her notes onboard her flight back to the U.K. following a charity book reading event with Stephen King and John Irving.

"The heightened security restrictions on the airlines made the journey back from New York interesting, as I refused to be parted from the manuscript of book seven," she wrote on her Web site.

"A large part of it is handwritten and there was no copy of anything I had done while in the U.S.," she added.

Rowling, worth an estimated $940 million, claims that she would have sailed back to the U.K. had security officers prevented her from carrying her manuscript as hand luggage.

Reports now suggest that hand luggage restrictions on U.K. flights will be eased within days, with the British government apparently coming to an amicable agreement with airlines. An announcement is expected early next week.

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