THE little Austin 7 car which featured in the latest Murder on the Orient Express movie could have played a much more important role on the world's stage.

Owned by Bournemouth resident Kim Leachman, the Austin - called Olive - may have been shipped behind enemy lines for a top secret mission during World War Two.

Now Kim is writing a book, partly based on Olive's possible exploits - with proceeds going towards The Royal British Legion, Help for Heroes and the Steve Bernard Foundation.

Kim told the Echo: "It is believed that in 1944 a few of these little cars were modified and transported by glider across the English Channel by either Halifax, Sterling or Albemarle aircraft from an airfield near the south coast and released over occupied northern France with possibly soldiers from the Royal Signals or SOE, Winston Churchill's Special Operations Executive.

"Their sole aim to gather last minute but valuable intelligence, by use of their heavy communications equipment, prior to the Normandy landings in June of that year."

Kim, who has renovated Austin 7's with his friend Stuart Hiscock, have spent hours on Olive's restoration.

"There is no known photographic or historical evidence to confirm the existence of such vehicles, other than that told to me by my late father and grandfather whom themselves worked for Vickers Aviation and Harland and Wolff respectively during the 40s and 50s," said Kim. "Both companies were heavily involved with the war effort and especially Operation Overlord, the codename for the D-Day invasion."

The fictional book, which will contain elements of Olive's past history, is based on her one-off World War II mission to northern France.

Kim said: "The story involves her two man crew, the French Resistance and a 45-tonne German Panzer Tank, with a vindictive and vengeful crew of four insistent on hunting Olive down."