Boris Johnson has wizard plan for a London Harry Potter park

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The Mayor is writing to Warner Brothers and Universal Studios, which are behind the Wizarding World theme park which opens in Florida next week, to urge them to develop one in London.

Mr Johnson said he "deeply and bitterly" resented the fact that the park, inspired by a British wizard who was created by a British author, was opening in the US.

He said today: "I know somewhere that's even better than Orlando at looking like London - and that is London. I want to know why this Kingdom of Potter is not being built in the UK, and I won't be fobbed off with any nonsense about the weather.

"They built EuroDisney in the Valley of the Marne, where it is at least as cold and drizzly as it is in London - and it has been a triumphant success."

City Hall insiders said he was keen for businesses who could be interested in building a Harry Potter theme park in London to come forward.

Mr Johnson wants GLA staff to be as supportive as possible to any bid, although he stopped short of committing any funds to a British Wizarding World.

"If they were to put forward plans, they could conclude that the Mayor would be quite passionately behind them, as long as they were professional and true to the spirit of Harry Potter," one source said.

City Hall is understood to have been in talks with Warner Bros for almost two years on the prospect of building a Harry Potter theme park in Hertfordshire. However, Florida was able to offer tax incentives, development cash and new transport infrastructure.

The £270million, 20-acre extension of Universal's theme parks in Orlando will feature a recreation of Hogwarts School and other landmarks from the book and film series.

JK Rowling's seven Harry Potter books have together sold about 400 million copies. The movies have now taken a record $5.3billion (£3.6billion).