A CRIME writer has revealed how he sets about writing his mystery novels, with a backdrop of the Yorkshire Dales.

Peter Robinson, from Richmond, has recorded a podcast that can be downloaded from the Yorkshire Water website.

The creator of the Chief Inspector Alan Banks mysteries tells about his fascination with sunken valleys and reservoirs and how the Yorkshire countryside inspires his work.

The plot for his book In a Dry Season is based on real events in 1989, when the remains of the village of West End emerged from Thruscross Reservoir, between Harrogate and Skipton, during a severe drought.

"It occurred to me that it would be fascinating if a body had been discovered at the time, and that was where the plot began," said Mr Robinson, who lectures at a university in Toronto, Canada.

The release of the podcast coincides with the Harrogate crime-writing festival.

Rob Salmon, of Yorkshire Water, said: "We are delighted Peter Robinson was happy to record a podcast about his work and the part played in many of his stories by the Yorkshire countryside, much of which is actually owned or managed by Yorkshire Water."

The podcast, an audio recording, can be downloaded at www. yorkshirewater.com