Record sales in UK and the US

NEW YORK (AFX) - 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' has broken sales records in the 48 hours since it went on sale, according to its publishers.

Scholastic Inc, its US publisher, said it sold an unprecedented 5 mln copies of 'Phoenix' in its first day alone.

Scholastic said it had a record breaking first print-run of 6.8 mln and a second printing of 1.7 mln.

In the UK, where the book is published by Bloombsury Publishing PLC, more than 1 mln copies of the book have flown off the shelves within 48 hours of its launch at midnight Saturday, The Times newspaper reported.

Tesco PLC said supermarkets sold 317,400 copes of 'Phoenix,' the fifth in
the series by JK Rowling, in the first 24 hours. Tesco had been the biggest British seller of 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'.