A FORMER maths teacher and RAF navigator has found his engaging tale of a Raz, the raspberry fartle bird, has proved a hit with young readers.

Writing children’s books is a change of direction for Paul Law, who before retirement spent many years teaching maths in Teesside and North Yorkshire. Previously he had been a navigator with the Royal Air Force.

Raz – The Raspberry Fartle Book tells the tale of an ancient and mysterious creature reborn on a farm’s raspberry patch and his adventures with two children, Jamie and Lillie.

Mr Law, from Northallerton, said he first invented the character to entertain his grandson.

“I wrote a few lines for my grandson, James. I thought I would publish a book and see what happened and so far the response has been absolutely marvellous,” he said.

“A lot of books these days seem aimed at either boys or girls and this is designed to be neutral. The second book will feature my granddaughter, Megan, who is Jamie’s sister.”

At a book signing at Waterstones in Northallerton on Saturday, copies sold out within an hour.

Mr Law, who taught maths at the former Acklam Hall school in Middlesbrough, as well as at Nunthorpe School and at Northallerton College, has already written his second book in the series and is planning his third.

They will all be published under Mr Law’s penname of Freddy King; taken from the name he was born with - Paul Frederick King – which was changed to Paul Law when he was adopted.

The book is available on Amazon and via Waterstones.