Wartime letters published as children's story

Mr Denney with the original letters he wrote from Egypt

Letters penned nearly 60 years ago from an RAF engineer to his daughter have been published as a book.

Alf Denney of Danbury, in Essex, wrote his six-year-old daughter letters from Egypt to tell her the story of The Fairy Who Lost Her Wings.

The story lay forgotten in a bureau in his house for decades, but to the author's delight, it has now been made available to a new generation of children.

"I can't believe it; the only thing I can think is that an old fairy tale just has a modern attraction," said Mr Denney, who is now 90.

The book is an old- fashioned fairy story

He recalled that he had written the story because he was so far away from home.

"By writing the letters for my daughter, especially at her sixth birthday, I felt I was getting closer to her.

"It's a wonderful feeling."

In the story, a fairy loses her wings and travels to the land of the witches to get them back.

More than 2000 copies of the book have been sold so far.

Sue Broom, of Ottakar's Bookstore in Chelmsford, said the book has sold out at her shop.

Mr Denney during the war

She cited the book's provenance as part of its appeal.

"I think it's just the story behind it; that he'd written these stories for his daughter during the war for her, as he couldn't get home to give her a bedtime story."

Mr Denney told BBC Look East he now plans to write a sequel.