A man from Welling is hoping to kickstart a career as a bestselling author with his debut novel.

Jack Dowd, 24, has been a budding writer since he was a child.

After years of "sitting and writing at the back of the classroom" he has decided to pen his first story.

Empty Nights follows the plot of a teenage boy studying for his A Levels who learns his childhood crush has fallen pregnant.

While he tries to keep her secret, he juggles studying, his parents' divorce and his own mental health issues.

And mental health is a theme Jack wants to bring attention to with his book.

He said: "Most people portray teenagers as moody, hormonal people, but I wanted to make people aware of their struggles."

After spending three-and-a-half years writing Empty Nights between working in office jobs, Jack hopes he will have more time to dedicate to his next projects.

"I already have all my ideas sorted for my next projects until 2020. Whether they are done by then is another question", Jack joked.

Empty Nights, published by Mommashark Press, will be available on Amazon from September.