A man originally from Cumbria has fulfilled a promise to his mother by publishing his first book at the age of 74.

Stephen Scott, who was brought up in Dalston and educated at Nelson Thomlinson, always promised his mother, Edna Haslam, that he was going to write a book.

Now, 12 years after her passing, Stephen has published 'Framed' on Kindle. It is dedicated to Edna.

After school, Stephen studied Law at Liverpool before going on to complete a journalism course at Cardiff University. He went on to work as an investigative journalist and television producer for more than forty years.

Most recently, he was  the consultant for a four-part Sky documentary series 'Murder in the Valleys.'

After partially retiring in 2016, increasingly his mind turned to what he had said to his mother, and in 2021 he put pen to paper to write Framed.

The book is set in London in 1999. A city in which crime is organised and violent, and the rewards are enough to make even the allegedly incorruptible think twice. ‘Mr Big’ is accused of being the brains  behind a multi-million pound robbery in the city. He claims that he is the victim of a police frame up. And he’s credible.

The central character of the book, Slater, is hired on his first major case as a private detective after leaving  the murky waters of ‘government service’ in Northern Ireland. His job is to locate a missing witness.    

As a novice in the game, facing threats to his own life and the lives of those he loves while dealing with multiple murders. His way of seeking justice is far from orthodox and not for the faint hearted. 

Stephen said: "Overall, writing a book was a great experience although a lot more difficult and frustrating than I had thought. Certainly, my experience as a journalist helped me to develop the story line and, to be honest, persevere. I am happy that at last I was able to make good on my words to my mam. Who knows, maybe there is another book lurking in my mind!"