A VALE man has put pen to paper to write a moving account of life with his autistic son.

Sky Don't Rain Daddy is the work of Lionel Wilkes, from Offenham, but the central character of the book is his son, Ian, who died 10 years ago at the age of 35.

Ian was both epileptic and autistic and Mr Wilkes's book recounts in detail the problems the family faced in coming to terms with his condition and then dealing with the problems it threw up throughout his short life.

Mr Wilkes said: "I decided I would like to do it as therapy really. When Ian died I got very depressed, but eventually, after a couple of years, I decided I was feeling better."

He and his wife, Margaret, then embarked on a round-the-world holiday, the first long haul holiday they had ever had, because they had always been too preoccupied with caring for Ian beforehand.

"When I got back I decided I would do it," said Mr Wilkes.

"It took two years to write and then somebody said I should get it published."

Piecing together more than three decades of family life was a task involving the whole family - Lionel, Margaret and their other children, Roy and Julie. Mrs Wilkes had many family photos and a large file of correspondence accumulated over the years from doctors and hospitals relating to Ian.

But the result is not a litany of woe, as it contains numerous examples of the lighter side of life within the family.

Mr and Mrs Wilkes still live in Offenham where Ian is buried and Mr Wilkes said: "We will never move, because Ian is only a few hundred yards up the road.

"We go and say "hello" to him most days," he added.

Sky Don't Rain Daddy is published by Pen Press Publishers Ltd, of London, priced £6.99.