A WRITER who started riding motorbikes when he was 10 has captured his lifelong passion in a new book.

Frank Melling, who worked in Runcorn, says he has recorded social history from the 1960s and 1970s as well as motorcycling.

A Penguin in a Sparrow’s nest recounts his journey from when he left his council home at 16 to become a motorcycling journalist.

Frank, from Warrington, said: “I feel that this book has a much wider interest than just the biking community.

“There is a lot of mention of Runcorn where I worked at the time.”

He says his true story could almost be a fictional novel because it is an epic tale of overcoming adversity, avoiding death on many occasions, and making huge efforts to succeed.

Frank explains how he started off as a skint young lad, learnt how to ride, started his own race team and carved a freelance career.

He has been writing about bikes for more than 45 years and has worked with some of the greatest world champions.

He teaches and has more than 1,100 articles and 11 books to his name.