A Penryn author who put together his first book out of a desire to raise funds for charity has just seen his fifth work published.

Ernie Warmington, 80, who was born and raised in Penryn, started writing books on Penryn history as a way of turning his old photo collection into funds for cancer research following the death of his brother.

From one volume made as a token of fraternal love, Ernie has moved on to write four more, all based around pictures of the places and people of the town.

He said: "Just before my brother died, he knew that I collected postcards and photographs of Penryn and he asked me if I would do a book dedicated to him, which I did.

"I published it myself, it was printed by Booths, and I gave the proceeds of the book, which came to about £10,000, to cancer research."

Ernie has "hundreds and hundreds" of old postcards and photographs, which he has collected for over 40 years, and believes he has enough to make at least two more books without repeating anything.

To go with the pictures he carries out research in his own library of Cornish history books, as well as using the resources of the Penryn Museum, and for any outlying villages he has friends with information or asks local history groups.

He said: "The whole area is steeped in history. Beginning, of course, with the college [Glasney] before the reformation, and Henry VIII had it pulled down

His latest book, Penryn from Old Photographs, was released in August, and Ernie signed a copy and gave it to Peter Welch, who was seven years old when he escaped the bombing of Penryn 1941.

He said: "This book is dedicated to those who lost their lives."

The book is about the town during World War II, and the day during the war that the area around Quay Hill was bombed with the loss of many lives.

Ernie was at the Penryn Museum signing copies on Fair Day, and is to be found at the museum most Fridays.

Although born and raised on the town's main street, he now lives in Redruth - "the result of marrying a Camborne girl", although he said there is "a little bit of Penryn waiting for me near St Gluvias."