RETIRED Police Superintendent turned author, Alan Sewart, has died at his home in Easingwold, aged 69.

Mr Sewart served with the Lancashire Constabulary for 32 years. In 1957, he was awarded the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry by Prince Philip for single-handedly arresting six armed terrorists in Cyprus.

He retired 25 years later to pursue his much-loved writing hobby and it is for this that he is best known locally.

His literary career spanned 20 years, during which time he wrote 36 books, some of which covered the relationship between informer and detective.

Fans of crime novels will probably remember him as Alan Stewart Well, or Padder Nash, his pseudonyms. A keen angler, Mr Sewart belonged to the Criterion Angling Club and the Huby Amateur Dramatics Club for whom he wrote lyrics for their pantomime shows.

He leaves a widow, Dorothy, two sons, a daughter and two grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at York Crematorium next Monday at 12.30pm.

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