A FATHER helping his son with his school history project on the First World War has ended up as a full-sized historical novel.

Eric Collinson, 65, was researching the Durham Light Infantry involvement in The Great War for his son’s project, but found himself absorbed in the story.

Mr Collinson said: "Five years later I was still doing it so I thought I’ve got enough information here to write a book".

The novel, The Bootlace Boys, is a historical fiction following the story of Mr Collinson’s grandfather Ted in the Durham Light Infantry during the First World War. He says he was struck by discovering how many members of the regiment had died on April 25th 1915.

"There were hundreds of them - that’s when I thought something happened here.

"It’s a little place called Boetleers Farm. I remember my granddad talking about it, but they called it Bootlace Farm - they always anglicised these French and Belgium names. Well, Boetleers Farm became Bootlace Farm, hence the title of the book".

The novel focuses on various real members of the Durham Light Infantry who took part in the battle at Bootlace Farm.

Mr Collinson said: "All the villages within a 10-mile radius of Langley Park have war memorials. The names that I’ve used of the people in the novel, and I know it’s a dramatised one, but it’s very accurate and very historically correct, are the names off the war memorials.

"George Moody from Witton Gilbert was shot at Bootlace Farm, you know he was from Witton Gilbert because you’ve followed his story through the book and if you go to the Witton Gilbert war memorial, his name is on there.

He said: "Around 200 guys went in and seven or eight came out, all within less than 24 hours.

"My granddad was one of those who came out, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.

"You kind of put a value on your life when you learn things like that about yourself, don’t you?"

Mr Collinson visits Waterstone’s in Durham on Saturday (October 27) for a book signing session between 10.30am and 3pm.