WRITERS have published a new collection of stories about Oxford to help cancer sufferers and their families.

Midwinter Tales is published by the Turl Street Writers group, which has raised hundreds with two previous books for Maggie’s Centres.

The charity, which supports cancer sufferers and their carers and relatives, has a temporary building at Oxford’s Churchill Hospital and has launched a £3m campaign for a purpose-built base on the site.

The new building would support the new £109m Cancer Centre which opened at the hospital in March last year, with more than 200 beds and 10 new operating theatres.

Writer Robin Courage, 66, a former banker, said the group, which meets at the Kings Arms pub in Holywell Street, had been inspired by one of its members, Val Watkins, from Little Milton, near Thame, who has ovarian cancer.

Mr Courage, 66, from Headington, Oxford, said: “Unfortunately Val is still suffering and we are doing everything we can to support her.

“Maggie’s Centres is a very good cause and we have now sold 530 copies of Turl Street Tales, our second collection.

“All the stories are set in Oxford in winter – which we thought would be an appropriate theme.”

He added: “There are six of us in the group and we are also writing our own novels.”

Murray Easton, a spokesman for Maggie’s Centres, said: “We welcome the positive efforts of this writers’ group.”

The book is on sale in city bookshops from September 29 priced £8.99.

For more details, visit the website maggiescentres.org