An OSWESTRY man has used his past mental health issues to help inspire an anthology of poems that is set to be published.

Tom Davies, 67, from Hampton Rise, will receive the first proofs in the coming weeks for his 'View from the Summit' collection of poems.

He is delighted that his life's work has come to fruition and hopes and insisted that writing about his mental health was important.

"My poems will definitely be released," he said.

"It's a lifetime of writing and will be available in one volume across 55 pages.

"I started writing poetry when I was in the sixth form at Oswestry School.

"I did go to university – I went to Swansea when i was a mature student at 25 but I left before the year because of ill-health.

"I have had mental health issues all of my life and it's reflected in the book with poems called 'Black Dog' and 'Mental Hospital 1972'.

"Mental health issues should be talked about so that people who have them know that don't have to suffer.

"When there's a physical injury, everyone has sympathy but if it's a hidden injury in your mind then it's harder for people to understand."

Tom added that his work covers all aspects of his life, including growing up in Wales, and hopes people will be inspired to read his poems.

He added: "'Mental Hospital 1972' covers my time when I was a patient at the Shelton hospital in Shrewsbury.

"It is a semi-autobiographical and lyrical summary of my life but the poems are not just about mental health.

"It's about growing up in Montgomeryshire, where I was born, and my life through the years.

"I've been lucky I've been able to publish the poems all my life in various papers, like when I was editor of the school paper, but receiving that rejection letter from the places I wasn't successful was all part of it."

Tom's anthology will be available at Booka Bookshop in Church Street, The Willow Gallery, in Willow Street, and Oswestry's tourist information centre, as well as in Welshpool tourist centre too.