Jamie Ross wrote the book for his son

Jamie Ross, 28, who lives in Brecon, thought he was dyslexic until a tutor at Coleg Powys discovered his unusual condition.

His book, New Shoes for Hayden, was inspired by his five-year-old son.

The High Sheriff of Powys will present Hayden with new trainers, as happens in the book, on Wednesday at a ceremony.

Mr Ross wrote the story, exchanging one sort of sentence for another, when he was on probation for a violence offence.

Brought up in Surrey, he was 16 when he received his first conviction but when he continued his life of crime he was eventually jailed for nine months at Guildford Crown Court.

I thought I was dyslexic, but my reading improved when I used green paper, Jamie Ross

After receiving an 18-month community order for getting into more trouble in Surrey, he moved to Brecon and worked with Dyfed-Powys Probation Service.

"I'm not going to re-offend again, and that's a lot to do with the work I've done with the probation service," said Mr Ross.

With help from the service, Mr Ross was enrolled on a basic skills course and discovered his reading improved when he wrote on green paper.

"I thought I was dyslexic, but my reading improved when I used green paper," he added.

So great was his turnaround that a short story he wrote for his son as part of his course has been published and will be included in a Basic Skills Agency family pack designed to encourage parents to read to their children.