A RETIRED Lancaster airman has used his experiences as a gunner on a Lancaster Bomber to write a nerve jangling crime thriller.

David Millett counts himself lucky to have survived a tour of 30 operations behind enemy lines and for his new novel The Perpetrator he draws on some of his dramatic war time experiences.

The story centres on a retired Lancaster Bomber crew who regularly meet together to share stories and the mysterious events that surround one of their annual reunions.

One of the crew is a retired policeman and he begins to investigate.

The Perpetrator started life as a short story for a crew reunion but David became so engrossed in the tale that he eventually had a whole novel on his hands.

"I just started writing and it all came out - a start, a middle and an end," said David, "One chapter is a flashback to a bombing raid which is based on my actual experience but mostly it's fictional and I just made it up. Our crew went out on a full tour of 30 operations and against all the odd we survived them all. I count myself very lucky."

The Perpetrator has been very well received by those who have read it, including actor George Baker, star of the Inspector Wexford detective series who is currently trying to tempt producers to turn David's novel into a TV programme.

"He was very enthusiastic about it and thinks it would be great for television. I just sent it to him because a couple of people said it would be perfect for George Baker and I was amazed when he actually got in touch to say how much he liked it."

What's particularly impressive about David's novel is that fact that he suffers from dyslexia but that didn't put him off. I always fancied writing but I never thought I could do it because of my dyslexia," he said. "I started by writing an autobiography of my working life as a gliding instructor called Whispering Winds. The amazing thing is I never really know what I'm going to write when I sit down. I just start writing. I've written another since and I'm working on another at the moment."

David is one of the last remaining members of his flight crew and he is keeping his fingers crossed that his book will go on to bigger and better things. For more information about The Perpetrator or to buy a copy call David on 35136.