A BEST-SELLING children's author has hit back at a Christian fundamentalist group that has attacked his books for being "saturated by the occult".

Former North Yorkshire vicar Graham Taylor, who has enjoyed global success with his two novels, Shadowmancer and Wormwood, has been stunned by criticism of the US-based Focus on the Family religious organisation.

It comes as Mr Taylor is in talks with a large games company in the US for a multi-million dollar franchise to produce an inter-active video game based on Wormwood.

Work is also due to start on the script for a movie of Shadowmancer.

But on the organisation's website - www.pluggedinonline.com - Mr Taylor's work has been criticised for potentially developing an "unhealthy fascination with mysticism and witchcraft".

Mr Taylor, 46, who lives near Scarborough, said yesterday that he was "not the anti-Christ" but that the message he portrayed in his books was Christian.

"I'm just a Yorkshireman who writes books which to adults can be scary and to kids exciting," he said.

"I find it disgraceful for people who call themselves Christian to be trying to ban a book which has been likened to work by CS Lewis."

The Focus on the Family group, based in Colorado Springs, is a powerful member of the evangelical community and is credited with helping George W Bush win re-election along with other right-wing Christian groups. It is also a leading boycotter of Proctor and Gamble products because it claims the company is supportive of gay marriage.

The group has previously described the Harry Potter series, created by author JK Rowling, as carrying serious dangers for youngsters who are "curious about magic and wizardry".

The Focus on the Family group was unavailable for comment last night.