A RETIRED history teacher from north Durham has written a fictional book for children.

Maisie Raine, 64, has based The Summer of the Witch on the village of Lanchester where she has lived for over 11 years.

It features local shops, pubs and the church and is an affectionate look at the history of the area.

She said: "I hope kids will get a lot of enjoyment from it and the idea is that it encourages them to get into reading.

"It this day and age of computers it is important to remember that books still have there place.

"It is vitally important for children to be able to use their imagination."

The story is about a girl who is visiting her father and believe he lives in a boring place where nothing happens.

But she meets new friends and finds out what happened hundreds of years ago when a local woman was burned because people thought she was a witch.

Mrs Raine said: "I have always been fascinated with local myths and legends so I have put in a lot of my own interests in and combined it with the fact that kids love a good story."

Mrs Raine, who lives with her partner Barry Peacock, and two-year-old shitsu, Alfie, taught at Oxclose Community School in Washington for 28 years.

She was in charge of history and humanities and then year seven pupils, helping acclimatise to secondary education from their primary schools.

The book is aimed at 11-year-olds but Mrs Raine hopes it will be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Mrs Raine said: "I have always wanted to write but it is recently, since I left school, that I have had the time."

Mrs Raine will be busy over the next few weeks promoting the book, which is being published by Olympia Publishers.

From 11.30am on Saturday she will be signing copies at The Bookcase on Front Street in Chester-le-Street and a book launch is being held at Valentino’s in Lanchester from 8pm on May 26.

She will also be signing copies at The Bondgate Books, Fore Bondgate, Bishop Auckland from 1pm on June 5.