A former EastEnders actor is helping a sight-impaired boy from Timperley write his first novel.

Shane Plange, who uses a cane and reads text in braille, has never given up on his love of reading and writing and is currently putting together a fantasy novel with the help of actor Jack Ryder.

The ten-year-old said: “I love stories and I love the help I’m getting from Jack. Hopefully my book will be read by a lot of people.”

Shane was introduced to Jack, who played EastEnders heartthrob Jamie Mitchell for four years, through the Greater Manchester-based sight loss charity, Henshaws.

Jack said: “I am delighted to be helping Shane with his book. His enthusiasm, dedication and attitude has been amazing, and I am sure he’s going to produce a great novel. Look out for his name in book retailers in the future.”

Following his stint on Eastenders Jack has released his own children’s book, had roles in Casualty and The Archers, and starred in theatre productions such as Romeo and Juliet.

Mel Cooke, the head of Children, Young People and Families at Henshaws, said: “Jack has been fantastic since we approached him to see if he would be interested in doing this.

“Having spent lots of his time in TV and theatre and now with his own children’s book released, we knew he would be perfect to boost our young people’s confidence and help with their dreams and ambitions. We can’t wait to read what Shane has written.”

Young people who are supported by Henshaws and want to improve or find out more about writing are also being encouraged by best-selling authors Conrad Jones and Ben Andrews.

To find out more about Henshaws’s work with those with visual impairments go to the charity’s website at https://www.henshaws.org.uk/