A GALLANTRY medal awarded to a Harry Potter actor was among medals stolen in a raid on a museum.

Thieves stole a Distinguished Flying Medals and other Second World War medals worth £2,000 from the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington, near York.

The award for gallantry belonged to Harry Potter actor and former bomber air crewman Edward Charles James Gardner, who died in 2010, aged 85.

The supporting actor played bus driver Ernie Prang in the 2004 film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Less than a week before Remembrance Sunday, the thieves broke into a cabinet in an outbuilding and stole the DFM and three other medals.

They all now belong to the Yorkshire Air Museum which also houses the Allied Air Forces Memorial but were stolen during opening hours on Monday.

Mr Gardner was born in 1924 and served with the RAF's No 10 Squadron during the Second World War and completed 30 sorties as a rear gunner in a Halifax bomber.

After the war, he turned actor, making his screen debut in The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb in 1964 and appearing in more than 30 films including as Knight Bus driver Ernie Prang in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

He also appeared in Shakespeare productions and on television and in theatre.

The stolen medals were:

• The DFM - a silver, circular medal, with George VI's head on it, a blue and white ribbon and Jimmy Gardner engraved on the side;

• A War Medal - a silver, circular medal, with a green, black and orange ribbon;

• A 39/45 Star Medal - a six pointed star-shaped medal, with dark blue, red and pale blue ribbon;

• An Air Crew Europe Star Medal - a six pointed star-shaped medal, with a black, yellow and pale blue ribbon which has an additional France and Germany metal clasp attached to it.

Police are appealing for any information. Contact the North Yorkshire force on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously , on 0800 555111.