NEW students got off to a 'flying' start — when they got on their broomsticks to play a real-life version of the game quidditch.

Some may have mistakenly thought they had enrolled at Hogwarts rather than the University of Bolton when they were invited to take part in the wizardly game made famous by the Harry Potter books.

Teams invited to play were from the university's school of creative technologies — where the world of reality and fantasy really does collide.

As part of 'welcome week' freshers got their first introduction to this world with a competitive game of knockout quidditch.

The game was played out in the sports halls of Bolton One at the University of Bolton.

Quidditch is just one of the welcome week events being run in the school of creative technologies — which aims to introduce new students to their department and get to know each other and their teachers.

Lecturer Judah Smith said: "We like to get our students off to a flying start — although our version of quidditch may not involve all the aerial acrobatics seen in the film.

"Bringing students together, bonding and making friends is all part of what we do in welcome week.

"For our students welcome week will be a fun immersion into the course — and the industry where our students win international awards and our graduates go on to work with the industry leaders."

Teams were made up of first year students in media, games and design and VFX who battled it out for the trophy.

The winners were Team Media.

The sport is becoming popular in the 'real world' with hundreds of players competing in the UK's biggest ever quidditch tournament, which was held for the second time this year.

And although quidditch players do not fly as they do in Harry Potter, they do run around with broomsticks between their legs.