An 11-year-old boy from Manningtree has set the Guinness World Record for naming the most Harry Potter characters in a minute.

Colchester Royal Grammar School pupil, Eli Chmelik, said it felt “very strange” to hold a world record after he was able to name 19 characters from quotes they said in the film series.

He read the first Harry Potter book aged six and says he “instantly loved the entire series” and has gone on to read the books "dozens of times".

East Anglian Daily Times: Eli Chmelik, 11, who has set the Guinness World Record for identifying the most Harry Potter characters from quotes from the Harry Potter films in one minute, at his home in Manningtree, Essex.Eli Chmelik, 11, who has set the Guinness World Record for identifying the most Harry Potter characters from quotes from the Harry Potter films in one minute, at his home in Manningtree, Essex. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Eli said: “I’d been reading the books obsessively for several years, then I saw the same record but for Star Wars, and I thought I can do this for Harry Potter."

When asked how he prepared for his record attempt, the fan of the boy wizard said: “I read the books a lot, for a start.

“I read them more than I normally do, which is saying something.

“I got people around me to test me occasionally.”

He also believes he could beat his own record, having named 40 characters when practicing with his parents

Eli added: “The person that actually read it wasn’t very fast at reading it to be honest.

“I think I could have got a lot more if they’d been very quick at reading it."

Eli lives with his mother, Bonny Chmelik, 43, a marketing strategist, his father Stefan Chmelik, 58, who runs a meditation business, and his nine-year-old brother Magnus.

His mother said she was “so proud” of him adding: “Eli’s quite a self-starter and honestly when he said what about doing a world record I was like ‘yeah go for it’.

“I didn’t realise quite how much work I was letting myself in for.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Eli Chmelik, 11, with his Harry Potter books.Eli Chmelik, 11, with his Harry Potter books. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

She had to secure two independent timekeepers, two independent witnesses and an independent reader for the filmed record attempt, which was verified by Guinness World Records.

Mrs Chmelik also had to choose 50 quotes that were not more than four from each character and then randomised by a website.

A Guinness World Records spokesman said: “Congratulations to Eli on his new Guinness World Records title, an impressive achievement.”

Eli broke the record in Shimpling, Suffolk on July 31 last year and received his certificate in December after the record was verified.