Tim Stead is excitedly showing clips on his mobile phone. Roy Walker is saying: “One day, The Snots were having their breakfast. The Snots’ breakfast consists entirely of bowls of green goo...”

Christopher Biggins is revelling in his lines: “It’s number seven on the stinkometer!’ said Daddy Snot pointing at the stinkometer on the wall.”

Shane Ritchie, Bobby Ball, Ted Robbins, John Thomson, Helen Lederer and several other actors and comedians have also filmed themselves reading a page from Tim’s latest book. It’s like a Jackanory relay team.

“I’m very proud of these,” says Tim, 46. “Not bad for an HGV driver from Silloth.”

That’s one part of Tim’s life. Another is children’s author and illustrator. His work has attracted numerous celebrity fans, hence their willingness to endorse his latest book.

The Snots is Tim’s tenth book and the first to be written with someone else: comedian Phil Walker. Phil is the son of former Catchphrase host Roy Walker. Phil wrote the story and Tim illustrated it.

“I spotted Phil on YouTube doing his stand-up and thought he was really funny,” says Tim. “I contacted him and he told me about his idea for The Snots.

“He sent me a synopsis and I read it to my son Thomas, who was seven at the time. He thought it was brilliant, and I did as well.”

The Snots is the tale of Daddy Snot, Mummy Snot and their son, Sid Snot. They live up the nose of a boy named Billy, until Billy decides to pick it.

“Bogeys, and kids eating bogeys - it’s perfect really,” says Tim.

It certainly sounds like the kind of thing which will appeal to children aged six or so. But children’s publishing is a highly competitive world.

Hence Tim’s idea of enlisting his celebrity fans for a publicity campaign.

“You need to promote. It’s a lot easier with some well-known names behind you. I thought ‘What can I do?’

“Then I remembered Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?: pop stars singing a line of the song each. If we can get celebrities to each read a page of our story...

“We had a think. Phil got his dad and Shane Ritchie. The rest was me. I contacted them via Twitter and just asked very nicely. We said ‘If we sent you a book signed by me and Phil, would you possibly read a page from it?’”

Nearly all said yes. The plan is to start releasing their videos in the run-up to Christmas, then all of them together just before the big day.

Tim smiles, and says: “To see them looking at the camera and reading my work... I’m thinking ‘I’ve drawn that.’

“For them to follow me on Twitter in the first place is an honour. And they’ve done this for free.

“Dan Ryan has read The Snots to his son. John Thomson has read it to his daughters. Bobby Ball has got all my books.”

Tim lives in Silloth with his partner Lucy, a bar manager. He has juggled his writing and illustrating career with a job driving HGVs for Eddie Stobart Ltd.

He grew up in Rochdale, studied graphic design at Cumbria College of Art and Design in Carlisle in the 1990s, and returned to the city in 2002.

Tim began driving for Stobart on a casual basis 10 years ago. He also drew cartoons for the company’s Steady Eddie fanzine and wrote and illustrated children’s books.

The first, Ted Needs Some Space, is about a teddy bear who travels to outer space.

The Snots is the first of Tim’s books not to be self-published. It is produced by Lancashire-based Purple Parrot Publishing.

Tim became a full-time Stobart driver three years ago but has just returned to working on a casual basis, to allow more time for writing and illustrating.

“One of the drivers said to me ‘What are you doing here? You’ve got to give yourself 100 per cent to your projects.’ When someone says that, it makes you think.

“I’m working with Phil on a sequel to The Snots, called The Snots Go To The Moon. They go in a snot rocket!

“I’m working with Bobby Ball on another project. He got back to me after reading The Snots and said ‘Can you help me with my book.’ I said ‘Rock on!’ One thing leads to another.”

Tim is also working on a book with impressionist Francine Lewis, who reached the 2013 final of Britain’s Got Talent.

This book features a family of mice and encourages children to spend less time on electronic devices and more time playing outside. It is due to be published next April.

“Usually there’s a message to my books,” says Tim. “Hanging With The Kool Squids is about peer pressure and bullying.

“There isn’t really a message in The Snots. But it is part educational - how the body works. It’s an educational book, but disgusting. What more could kids want?”

He and Phil have visited numerous schools with the book, reading it to children at assembly.

“We’ve just done about 10 schools in Cumbria. We have a great time. The children absolutely love it.

“There’s things like ‘Spot how many bogeys there are in the book.’ A couple of teachers have said ‘It’s disgusting!’ But they say it in good humour.

“Getting children to read can be hard. I think schools are trying harder to do that.”

Tim loves coming up with ideas and writing stories. But the most enjoyable part of his work is illustrating. This can present unexpected challenges.

“Phil said ‘We need to make our bogeys cute.’ How do you make a bogey cute? But we did - I think we’ve accomplished making snot cute!

“Thomas gave me the idea for the bow to make Mummy Snot look feminine. Thomas helps a lot. He’s eight now. He’s into his drawing and he’s writing stories.”

Is Thomas excited that his dad is a children’s author with celebrity fans?

“He likes it when I come into his school to read. He takes the rest of it in his stride. There’s only me that gets excited, to be honest!

“We come up with ideas together. ‘What do cows do instead of just moo? Make friends with a kangaroo.’ That sort of thing.

“He’s good for me to bounce ideas off, with him being a child. So am I, so I’m told. I’m sometimes described as a big kid.

“I don’t think I’ll write for older kids. I’ll always be writing for five-six plus.”

Tim will also continue looking for inventive ways to promote his work. A recent opportunity to gain royal approval slipped through his fingers.

“William and Kate were in Keswick a few months ago. I wish I’d known. I’d have been running after them with a copy of The Snots, saying ‘Can you just read that, please?’”