AN author hopes his new book will rekindle memories of legendary Welsh boxer, Johnny Basham, among friends and descendants in Wrexham.

Stephen Juke's historic novel The Awesome Lives of Tommy Twicer: Part 1 has just been published by Austin McCauley and is an absorbing tale centred around Basham, the Newport-born boxer who moved north to live in Wrexham while he was serving in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, later settling in the town.

Basham had a colourful career in the early part of the last century (1909-29). He was the first welterweight to win the Lonsdale Belt, successfully defended his British welterweight title twice and won the Commonwealth Welterweight title in 1919.

But he was caught up in controversy too and faced manslaughter charges after the the death in the ring of an opponent, although he was later acquitted.

Stephen's book is just as racy and casts Basham as a secret service hero who helps a Polish farm boy called Tomas Tomaschevsky and his wife escape the clutches of Stalin for a new life in Wales.

"I made Johnny the hero of my book as he is a boxing legend in Wales and a lot of people know about him in the north and in the south," said Stephen, 66, who lives in Oakdale, near Caerphilly.

"It is a work of fiction but there is a lot of historical fact in there as well and I think there will be a lot of interest in it in the Wrexham area because of Basham."

Several of Basham's fights were fought at Hightown Barracks and Poyser Street drill hall and the boxer was managed by Alderman William Dodman, a notable Wrexham councillor of the era.

Stephen explained: "In the book Tomaschevsky goes on to meet Rasputin, fall in love with Tsar Nicholas' daughter Anastasia and makes an enemy in Stalin.

"Johnny is recruited by Mansfield Smith Cumming, the head of MI6, and Lloyd George to liaise with Rasputin and he ends up orchestrating Tomas and Anastasia's escape to Wales where Tomaschevsky becomes Thomas Thomas hence Tommy Twicer."

Steve is a retired policeman who honed an overactive imagination by writing bedtime stories when he became a full-time child minder.

He says he is already writing a sequel, which again will feature Basham as the main character in the plot, following him as he travels from Wrexham to Oakdale and referencing his boxing achievements.

"Boxing and Johnny play a big part in the story and it would be nice if his descendants and those of William Dodman pick up on it. I hope the people of Wrexham are interested too as is a fantastic story."

The Awesome Lives of Tommy Twicer: Part 1, for details visit www.austinmacauley.com