A BEST-selling author found out what it would be like to grab the wheel of a Morebus and drive it off.

Andy McDermott – author of the Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase saga – carried out some research for his next book with the help of the Dorset bus company.

Mr McDermott, who lives in Bournemouth, said: “Without giving too much away, my next story involves an escape and high-speed chase in a double-decker bus.

“In order to write that section, I needed to know exactly what it might feel like to jump on a bus and drive it away.

“It was a huge thrill – I loved it.

“Morebus instructor Jon Wilkinson was on hand at all times to make sure I knew what I was doing.

“And then he took the wheel – taking us around tight corners at a much higher speed. Thanks Morebus – it was fantastic research for me.”

Morebus area manager Adam Keen arranged the experience, allowing Andy to test out his bus driving skills at the Creekmoor park and ride site. “This is where we host our ‘try it’ days for potential new recruits to come and see what it’s like to get behind the wheel of a double-decker – so it was perfect on this occasion,” he said.

“It was an absolute pleasure for us to be involved in Andy’s newest novel. I’m very much looking forward to reading it when it’s published next year.”

The bus research came just before the publication of Andy McDermott’s latest instalment – The Midas Legacy – on Thursday,22 September 22.

Andy McDermott lives with his wife and son in Bournemouth.

He became an international best-selling author with the publication of The Hunt for Atlantis, which became a New York Times best-seller in 2009.

He told the Daily Echo at the time: “I wanted to create something that would out-Hollywood Hollywood, the ultimate Indiana Jones meets James Bond action-thriller.”

His 2008 novel The Secret of Excalibur imagined a chase through Bournemouth town centre which ended with the Imax cinema building being blown up.