BEST selling author Jasper Fforde became Swindon mayor and made the radical decision to change the town's official language to Welsh.

And this event didn't even occur in one of his fantasy novels, which are set in a parallel version of 1980s Swindon.

Swindon Mayor Derek Benfield surrendered his authority for an hour as a way to thank the writer for raising Swindon's profile around the world.

Mr Fforde said: "It was a wonderful experience. The mayor is featured in the book but he is actually called Volescamper."

Coun Benfield said: "His books have not only put Swindon on the map right across the country but internationally as well.

"People in New York will be reading about the Magic Roundabout and Commercial Road. I think it is true when they say London had Dickens, Dublin had James Joyce and now Swindon has Jasper."

The writer presided over the council chamber and demanded more Shakespeare should be taught in schools as well as creating a national holiday in honour of Charlotte Bronte. Even though these decisions remain in the realm of fancy, the names of Fforde's fantastic characters may soon be adorning Swindon's street signs.

Kristin Woodland, who works in Swindon Council's highways department, came up with idea of naming new roads after characters from his novels. Her suggestions now have to be approved by Royal Mail.

She said: "It was great to meet him. He seems a very nice man. I hope he brings out another book very soon because I have ran out of ones to read."

Mr Fforde set his novels in Swindon after working here in 1982 as an assistant on the film Champions about jockey Bob Champion and also got to know the town when he lived in Marlborough during the 1990s.

He said the main difference he noticed was the Jubilee Clock in the town centre, which despite its imaginative design, will not be featured in his next novel.

Instead the County Ground will be the location for the World Croquet Championships when the Swindon Mallets battle it out with the Reading Whackers.

Mr Fforde didn't realise that a real life rivalry existed between the towns before weaving it into his plot.

He attended a book-signing event at WH Smith in Regent Street followed by the mayoral reception at the Civic Offices.

Bhavani Vadde