A PAIR of mischievous weasels will be the main stars of a Weymouth author’s new book.

Mark Ford, 53, from Wyke Regis, recently wrote his first book under the pen-name Larkford.

The story, aimed at five to 10-year-olds, is called The Adventures of Handsome and Gristle: The Journey and is intended as the first in a series of six books.

The story follows two weasels, Handsome and Gristle, who make plenty of trouble in the zoo they live in and manage to escape from their playpen, finding themselves in the middle of the countryside.

Readers follow the pair as they befriend a clan of weasels living in the wild and find themselves in serious danger when some of the party become imprisoned in a nearby farm, having to outwit the farmer and his dog to save their friends.

Mr Ford said his inspiration for the book was a three-decade-long idea he had put off until now.

He said: “It was just an idea I have had for the last 30 years and when I moved to Weymouth and had free time my girlfriend said I should do it, so I sat down and wrote it. I have been an avid book reader since I was a child and always thought animals would make good characters. I decided on the weasel because they are naturally naughty.”

He said of his accomplishment: “Not ever having done something like this, I really thought it would take many months to do.

“But I was lucky and it only took a short time. I just imagined I was telling my grandchildren a story.”

And despite his first book being hot off the press, Mr Ford said he has already started working on a sequel.