IT was the scene which captivated the nation and spearheaded the marketing campaign for the Harry Potter movie phenomenon.

At a time when last year's filmgoers were desperate for any snatch of Harry Potter and the Philsopher's Stone, the clip of Hedwig, a magnificent snowy owl, swooping low over the boys at Hogwarts school for wizards, offered a tantalising glimpse of the movie.

But there is now growing evidence that the bird's starring role has led to an increase in parents buying owls for as little as £15 to give to their children.

Now the owner of one bird sanctuary is warning that the newly-released sequel - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - will lead to a further dramatic increase in owl ownership in the run up to Christmas.

Neil Fowler, who runs the Scotton Owl and Raptor Rehabilitation (Soarr) sanctuary in Scotton, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, said the craze condemned owls to miserable lives in cruel and unsuitable surroundings.

Since the first movie came out last year, the sanctuary has been inundated with calls from parents wanting to buy owls. It has also taken in one snowy owl and two barn owls, which have become victims of the pet craze.

Zema, an eight-month-old snowy owl, was handed to the sanctuary by a breeder in the South, who grew tired of parents ringing up asking for an owl like they had seen in the film.

Mr Fowler said the problems began when the promotional clip from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, based on the J K Rowling book, featured the young wizard's pet owl Hedwig, which can carry messages.

Mr Fowler, who started the sanctuary with his former falconer wife Juliana in 1998, said: "Since the first movie came out, goodness knows how many people have rung up asking where they can get an owl and if we can sell one to them."

Amazingly, it is not illegal to keep owls and Mr Fowler said there had been reports of barn owls on sale for as little as £15.

He said every hit film featuring animals sparked crazes.

Kes, a haunting 1970s movie featuring a young boy and his pet kestrel, set the trend, and, more recently, the Mutant Ninja Turtle films sparked a craze for terrapins.

Neil said: "It always happens whenever a film like this comes out. With Harry Potter, parents see the snowy owl and think that they can buy a bird that can do all the tricks, when in fact the owl had been specially trained.

"Some people who ring us up do not even know the difference between a barn owl and a snowy owl, even though a snowy owl has a wingspan of between four and six feet.

"We have even had people ringing up asking for a Hedwig, without even knowing what kind of animal it is. I have to curb my tongue.

"I expect we will get a lot of calls now the new Harry Potter film is out - especially as it is in the run-up to Christmas. Our message is simply that it is not feasible for most people to look after these kind of birds."