A single dad from Sheppey bringing up two teenage children is being tipped as Britain's new JK Rowling.

Richard Carberry, 51, has just had his debut novel A Fistful of Fur published and it has already sold out on Amazon.

The former security officer for the Rothschilds, one of Britain's wealthiest banking families, now lives in Manor Road, Rushenden, where he has penned the first of a three-book deal with Olympia Publishers.

Today (Thursday) he was due to meet a producer hoping to turn the comedy horror story into a movie and next Wednesday he will give a talk to pupils at Fulston Manor School, Sittingbourne, where his children Lily, 14, and Mickey, 13, attend.

He said: “I will tell them if I can write a book, anyone can. You should never give up and never be embarrassed.

"If you need help, that’s what proof-readers are for."

Richard, known to his self-styled followers The Carberettas as 'Lord Carberetta', was brought up in south London, and describes his book as a cross between TV comedy show Only Fools and Horses and the horror movie An American Werewolf in London.

The former worker at Sheppey docks said: “It’s about a bunch of likely lads from London who go down to the country in 1985 and get caught up in the curse of a werewolf.

"I really enjoyed writing it. It even has some real-life experiences which have happened to me."

As a young boy he loved watching late-night Hammer Horror movies like Dracula.

He said: “It was while watching The Howling I started wondering how characters from London would react in that situation.

"I am useless at spelling and no good at grammar but I sat down with my laptop and started writing.

"I sent the draft to five publishers. Three rejected it because they didn’t cover that genre but the other two both offered me deals.

"I was flabbergasted.”

He had a variety of jobs after leaving school on building sites and selling suits in the West End but landed on his feet when he joined the Rothschilds for 10 years. He said: “It was a wonderful job but I gave it up to look after my two youngest children.”

He also has three grown-up children from his first marriage.

He said: “I’ve taken all sorts of jobs since I moved to Sheppey. I’ve worked in the docks and even turned up as a butler at a hen night.”

• A Fistful of Fur is priced £8.99.