AN AUTHOR is donating proceeds from his latest book to the hospice that took care of his dying daughter.

Steve Greenhalgh, 58, has recently completed a children’s book entitled The Wars of the Weevils.

And cash from sales will go to the East Lancashire Hospice which holds a special place in his heart.

It was at the hospice that his 29-year-old daughter Emma Green-halgh-Yates lost her seven-year battle with a brain tumour in June.

Her dad said he was incredibly impressed by the care Emma received from staff at the Blackburn hospice.

Before she died they even arranged a wedding ceremony for Emma and her partner Christ-opher Yates.

Steve said Emma was very ill by this time but she managed to get through it thanks to the support of her family and staff.

He added: "This type of place is so important in our society and she got wonderful care and individual attention.

"Without that it would have been terrible for her.

"Everybody was moved by the care she received through a traumatic time.

"Emma fought it all the way without complaint. She was a wonderful person who never felt sorry for herself."

Emma had first been affected by the slow-growing tumour seven years earlier when she was in the final year of an English and creative writing course at Lancaster University.

A few months later she discovered she was pregnant and suspended treatment until after her son Dylan’s birth.

The tumour was controlled until May this year when doctors told Emma’s family there was nothing else they could do.

Steve, who lives with his wife Kathryn in Queen Elizabeth Crescent, Accrington, said The War of the Weevils was the first children’s book he had written.

While his daughter’s death was not an inspiration for the book, it helped motivate Steve to finish the project.

He said: "I started writing it 30 years ago but my work and other things distracted me from going further. When Emma died I finished the book and decided to use it to help the hospice."

His previous works include Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Blackburn and Hyndburn which highlights the history of dastardly crimes in East Lancashire.

He also worked as an RSPCA inspector before retirement so children’s literature was new territory for him.

Steve hopes the book will delight many children including his grandson Dylan, aged five, who is Emma’s only son and to whom the book is dedicated.

He said: "The book is aimed at children aged eight to 12 so Dylan is still a bit young. I’m not going to read it aloud to him because I want him to be able to read it once he is ready.

"It tells the story of the trials and tribulations of a group of small shoreline creatures, all with names relating to the UK’s coastline."

The Wars of the Weevils is self-published and can be purchased by emailing Stephen on sjg128@tiscali.co.uk or by contacting the East Lancashire Hospice.

Copies are £4.99.