I have worked on a number of British newspapers in various roles and am now a freelance journalist & writer. I also helped on the launch of Closer, the weekly magazine, and have worked for and edited a number of websites. I translate regularly for a French newspaper and website in south west France.

Book experience:
Author of numerous non-fiction books on a variety of subjects including ghost-writing a book on the weather with former BBC TV weatherman Bill Giles. Recent works include Bankrolling Basra, in which I ghostwrote the account of British banker and soldier Andrew Alderson's experiences in Iraq, Cyber Alert, an examination of internet and computer crime, The Mediterranean, a history of the cradle of Western civilisation, biographies of General Franco and Catherine the Great,  The Secret History of Witchcraft and Hypnosis:Secrets of the Mind.

Journalism experience:
I've worked for a number of national newspapers as a writer and news executive. These include the Daily Mail, The Independent, the Independent on Sunday, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express. I was Editor of the Scottish Daily Express in Glasgow.  My last position in Fleet Street was as Editor of the Daily Express website.

Teaching: 
As wellas being a freelance journalist and writer I also  run a distance learning course with fellow journalist Ken Hyder, teaching freelance journalism and writing. The web address is: www.practicaljournalism.com.