EVENTS surrounding an explosion at the Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) in Bridgwater are to be explored in a new thriller from writer Neil Grimmet.

The Hoard offers a fictitious account of the disaster in which six people were killed in June, 1951 with the cause of the explosion never identified.

Author Neil Grimmet said: “I decided to set the story in Bridgwater as I think the town lends itself to a thriller quite well.”

It was such a mysterious story about what went on at the factory, and there were all these rumours about a conspiracy and coverup I thought it’d make an excellent thriller.”

Neil, who lived with his wife in the Huntspills for eight years and then in Wembdon for three years, has written a total of 85 works of fiction, all set in Somerset apart from his first thriller, The Threshing Circle, released earlier this year.

The factory was opened in 1941 to produce explosives during the second world war and continued production until it closed in 2008.

The Hoard is available as a downloadable ebook but Neil is in discussion with publishers to release the story in print.

He said: “There are a number of large publishers looking at it now as well as a few movie studios so it’s picking up speed.”

“It’s nice to have done something like this in an area I know well and to get people reading about it.

“If it does go to one of the big publishers it means I’ll lose a little bit of control over it but it’d be nice to get it out in hardback to those people who can’t get it online.”

The Hoard is available as an ebook to download and currently has a 5 star rating on amazon.

For more information on Neil’s work visit www.neilgrimmett.com