A bookie from Menston has beaten the odds to have his first novel published.

Robert Young, who works for Ladbrokes, has landed a four-book deal for a series of stories about a gladiator, and will soon see his work on sale throughout the UK.

Inspired by a dream about a young Roman called Darius Drusus, the father of two started researching his novels four years ago.

He has travelled the world to gather information and completed half of an eight-book series called Auctoratus.

The 46-year-old has now signed a deal with Little Acorn Press, which specialises in fiction for children and young adults.

Mr Young, a property development manager for the bookmaker’s, said he had calculated it was a five million-to-one shot to get his work published.

Out of every thousand books started, only one is completed, and only one in a thousand are then accepted by agencies, he said. Just one-in-five authors with an agent then go on to land a publishing deal.

“They say write about what you know, but I say write about what captures your imagination, and if that involves a lot of research, then so be it,” he said. “Ignore the odds and go for it, you won’t know unless you try.

“I know it’s a far cry from the world of horse racing, but there are one or two chariot races in there, I promise.”

The historical novels start in 77 AD, when the 15-year-old son of a centurion flees his home, leaving his father for dead.

He discovers he is destined to rescue the world, past and present, from the hands of evil.

The first in the series, Auctoratus Volunteer Gladiator, will be in all major bookstores and available online from early August.