A boy with cerebral palsy who cannot speak wrote and bound a book in a day, after being inspired by a children’s author visit to his school.

When Barnes author Karen Inglis visited East Sheen Primary School this month to share her new book, Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep, with the children, six-year-old Gabriel Davy was so inspired he wrote his own version with his computer and had it bound by the end of the day.

Author Mrs Inglis, who based her book on a fox she saw near Barnes Bridge, said the all children’s enthusiasm was amazing but Gabriel went one step further and had his story bound with the help of his learning support assistant.

She said: “Ferdinand was inspired by a beautiful urban fox I saw one misty November evening close to Barnes railway bridge.

“He was trotting by under a streetlamp and had the most beautiful coat, very kind eyes and a magnificent tail - quite unlike the typical urban foxes we generally see. “That evening and over the following days and weeks I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

Ferdinand Fox’s Big Sleep is available to buy at Barnes Bookshop, Sheen Bookshop and in local branches of Waterstones.

Mrs Inglis will hold a book signing at Richmond Waterstones on May 4 from 11am until 3pm and Teddington Waterstones on April 27.