AN ACTOR from Wotton-under-Edge has a new book coming out on June 1.

Mark Llewellin went to The British Primary School and Katharine Lady Berkeley's School in Wotton.

At Katharine Lady Berkeley's he appeared in many productions with Adjoa Andoh, of TV's Casualty fame, and Anthony Young.

He and Anthony also did a comedy double act, The Other Brothers, with Wotton Dramatic Society and he took part in shows with John and Mary Downs, who are still members of the company.

Mark gave the school a cup to present in his drama teacher's name as Vera Conner had been a great influence on him.

He eventually left Wotton to attend drama college in Yorkshire.

After seven and a half years as marketing director at the Coliseum Theatre in Oldham, Lancashire, Mark Llewellin wrote his first book.

Called They Started Here, it was a history of Oldham's theatre, including many anecdotes about famous actors who had worked there.

Mr Llewellin said: "It was a great success. I even got invited to do a signing tour on a cruise ship in the Caribbean!"

A promotion tour for the new book will take place throughout June and July.

The book, co-written with Peter Riley, is called The World of Crime. It contains 28 different true stories from the Victorian and Edwardian periods, from around the western world.

The stories include murders, cons, scams and other dark deeds told in an accessible and entertaining style.

One of these, by chance, unearthed details about a girl from Wotton-under-Edge.

In 1903 Caroline Kitchen, born in Wotton, was called as a witness by the Druce family.

The Druces owned Baker Street Bazaar in London, a collection of shops and tourist attractions including Madame Tussaud's Waxworks and skating rinks with recreations of the Alps.

Thomas Druce was claiming to be the Duke of Portland and therefore to own the rights to a dukedom.

Caroline had worked as a housemaid for the Duke of Portland for a year and was asked, in court, to identify photographs of the two men.

She was prepared to state Thomas Druce and the Duke of Portland were one and the same person, thus perjuring herself.

When the case collapsed, Caroline Kitchen disappeared to America, possibly paid off by the Druce family.

World of Crime, with a foreword by Edward Woodward, is published in both hardback (£12.99) and paperback (£9.99) by P and D Riley.