A FORMER toffee works factory in Lowton is the inspiration behind a fictional novel penned by a Cheshire author.

Ron Derbyshire has written a novel called "Charlie's Girls" based on the Sovereign Toffee Works.

The factory near Church Lane opened in 1915 and employed thousands of people, but the factory was demolished 20 years ago and houses have since been built on the site.

Mr Derbyshire's late sister May Bridge worked at the factory and before she died, the pair talked about her memories of working at the Toffee Works.

The story is about a girl who begins work at the factory after moving from southern England.

The girl secretly buys shares in the factory and in time helps to improve the working conditions for the factory girls.

Mr Derbyshire, who lives in Lymm, said the book will appeal to a wide audience but stressed the events which take place at the factory are completely fictional.

The 80-year-old author, said: "I was going to write a book on the history of the factory but my book publishers decided there would be insufficient interest in the project to warrant publication. So what I have done as an alternative is to write a novel, a completely fictional story about a confectionary company in Lowton still in operation today.

"I did have a letter published in the Leigh Journal some weeks ago about the project and I received around a dozen letters and calls from readers about the Toffee Works. There is still a great deal of interest in the Toffee Works and I hope my book will help to generate even more interest."

"Charlie's Girls" is now on sale and is available at all good book stores and libraries.