Harry Postman

A postman in Britain has been hailed a local hero for defying rising flood waters in order to deliver eagerly-awaited copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to fans, it was reported Tuesday.

Richard Yates arrived at the Evesham sorting office in Worcestershire, central Britain, last Saturday to be told that delivery rounds were cancelled for the region.

Yates, whose own daughter had been eagerly awaiting the final volume of the wizard's adventures, promptly loaded up his personal four-wheel-drive with pre-ordered copies and delivered them to Potter fans in his village.

'We had seen the floodwater and all the post vans outside the main post office earlier in the day and were resigned to not getting the copy,' said Chris Haynes, a local fan.

'But, about an hour later, a 4x4 came up the drive and out got this chap with a big grin on his face and explained what he was doing.'