A MAYOR has helped launch a collection of imaginary letters.

Bert Ward's book, called Dear Bob, is a series of fictional letters written by a mother to her son serving on HMS Norfolk.

It charts the course of events and incidents, such as an outbreak of diphtheria and scarlet fever in Middlesbrough.

The book grew out of a creative writing course eight years ago and caught the attention of Ray Mallon, Mayor of Middlesbrough.

Mr Ward, who grew up in Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, said: "Each week we had to write a poem or short story. One week I couldn't do one, so I came up with this letter- originally from a mum to her son in the Army, although that changed later to the navy.

"Week after week, the other people in the group were asking for more of the letters and then they pinned me down to a date. I said 1931 as I knew that was the year of a General Election and the navy mutiny at Invergordon, which began on HMS Norfolk.''

He added: "Once I had committed myself to a date I had to do a lot of research and read the local papers for a whole year. That brought in quite a lot of information about events, locally, nationally and internationally into the letters.''

Mr Ward joined the Royal Navy at the age of 15 and later became a full-time lecturer in London. Now retired, he has moved back to Middlesbrough.