The adventures of two dogs on Seaton Carew beach have proved the inspiration for a joyful new children’s book.

The Adventures of Benji & Chester: The Beach Adventure is the first book by Hartlepool teacher and artist Lorraine Booth-Smith.

She was inspired by the real life fun her beloved late Cockapoo Chester and her niece and nephew’s pooch Benji had on the beach at Seaton.

The book has received great feedback and five-star reviews and is now being read all over world after being published just two weeks ago.

Lorraine Booth-Smith with her recently published book.

placeholder image — Lorraine Booth-Smith with her recently published book.

Lorraine, 60, said: “The story is based on the beach and inspired by the amount of time we spent at Seaton beach when we used to take Chester and Benji to meet up.

“When they were pups I used to say ‘I wonder what they will get up to today?’ and my husband Frank used to say ‘There’s a book in that somewhere’.

“I’ve also got a bit of a crazy imagination and am quite childlike, so that helped.”

Lorraine, an artist, did all the illustrations herself. Aimed at young children aged between two and seven, it features simple text alongside a full page picture throughout.

The story follows Benji and Chester on a fun, messy seaside adventure full of friendship, courage, with a little surprise along the way.

The real Benji and Chester were half brothers and Benji is believed to have been the first Cockapoo in Hartlepool.

Prior to publication, Lorraine shared the book with a cousin who works at a Hartlepool nursery, and another friend in a town primary school for feedback.

"The kids loved it,” she said. It is now live on Amazon after she self published it under the name Wag Tales Press.

Lorraine, who lectures at Durham University and is also a teacher trainer of English as a Foreign language, added: “So far it has got 11 five-star reviews on Amazon, some from total strangers in the States and UK.

“It has now sold in Hamburg, Poland, Australia, Malta and Florida and Maine in the US.

“It’s exciting. I am totally overwhelmed.”

Following the book’s success, Lorraine is planning a series of books with further adventures for Benji and Chester, with the sequel due to take place in a forest.