Ananova:

A primary school head ruined the new Harry Potter book for pupils - by reading out the final page on the last day of term.

Youngsters looking forward to reading the best-seller over the summer holidays were left reeling as Carolyn Banfield gave the game away, reports The Sun.

Nine-year-old pupil Louie Swift said: "I don't know why she read it. She's not usually a spoilsport."

An 11-year-old boy - whose mum would only name as Joe - said: "Lots of my friends complained about it.

"I put my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes closed because I didn't want to know about it."

Mrs Banfield read the climactic extract from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows to more than 400 kids at St John's C of E school's end of term assembly in Midsomer Norton, Somerset.

But a spokesman for the local education authority said: "The school was saying goodbye to the children and staff who were leaving.

"A very small passage was carefully chosen to reflect the theme of saying goodbye. The school felt this reading would not spoil the children's enjoyment of the book."

But Margaret Morrissey, spokeswoman for the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: "It was totally unforgivable.

"Whether you approve of the Harry Potter phenomenon or not, it has encouraged children to read. This act will probably stop all those children reading the book."