AN author from the South won the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Story.

Kieran Larwood, a teacher from Wroxall Primary School on the Isle of Wight, said he was "thrilled to bits".

"I really didn’t expect to win, so it was a massive surprise," he added.

The awards, managed by BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, are now in their 17th year and celebrate the best new children’s books from the last 12 months.

The winners were chosen by more than 400 children from 12 schools across the UK.

Kieran graduated from Southampton University with a degree in English.

His book, Podkin One-Ear tells the story of a young rabbit who is a son of a warrior chieftain. When his home is attacked the young rabbit must protect his family and become a legend.

"I have a great love of fantasy stories – everything from Tolkein to George R R Martin – and I really wanted to have a go at creating my own fantasy world," Kieran said.

When asked if balancing teaching and finding time to write is easy, he said: "It’s actually a real struggle, as teaching is such a time consuming job. I have got in to the habit of writing late at night, once all my school planning and preparation is done, but I wouldn’t recommend it. My caffeine intake can’t be anywhere near healthy levels."

Podkin One-Ear is available on Amazon, Faber and Faber and Kieran’s website: kmlarwood.com.