REDBRIDGE'S representative at City Hall is following in the footsteps of the borough's most famous politicians.

But it is not political ambitions Roger Evans, who sits in the London Assembly, is hotly pursuing. It is artistic pursuits.

The 42-year-old one-time runner for London Mayor has just published his first novel, Gremal Quest.

Which puts him in the company of one-time leader of the Conservative Party and Woodford Green MP, Iain Duncan Smith and the borough's most famous Parliamentarian, Winston Churchill.

Foregoing tales of intrigue stretching across the globe, like Mr Duncan Smith's book, or stories of wars that changed the face of Europe, like Winston Churchill, Mr Evans has decided to set his stories much closer to home.

"I like to try writing about places that I know about. So many people write stories about London and they've never even been here," said the politician.

And while the action of Gremal Quest takes place in the landmarks of London, including the British Museum, beneath the Tower of London and at Canary Wharf, the basis for the book is out of this world.

The story follows a subterranean creature's hunt for some stolen sacred scrolls and his ensuing friendship with a human child.

The novel is targeted towards the teenage Harry Potter market, which was developing when Mr Evans started writing.

He said: "I wrote my first novel when I was 14-years-old. It was an adventure novel set in the north of England."

Writing in his spare time comes as a relaxing change from advising would-be Mayor Boris Johnson on the capital's transport issues, and Mr Evans said that although the 60,000 word book took a couple of years to complete there are already plans for a sequel in the pipeline.

But while Mr Evans is advising Mr Johnson on policy, Mr Evans is not approaching Mr Duncan Smith for literary tips. The London Assembly member for Havering and Redbridge said: "I know Iain, he can write pretty well but he didn't do any proof reading for me. They are very different books. "