Retired Kelso policeman using new chapter in his life to support MND charity

Simon Daley, who turned 55 this month, called time on his decorated police career four years ago and embarked on a long-held ambition to write a novel.

His first book, the SAS-inspired Retribution, has now been published, with all the royalties going to support research into the debilitating condition.

Simon took the decision to support the charity in support of his uncle Jim Maxwell, from Edinburgh, who is living with MND.

Now he’s planning further fund-raising by taking part in a first marathon in Bordeaux in France later this year.

He said: “I was a policeman for 30 years, based mostly in Edinburgh, although I had some national and international jobs and I retired very nearly four years ago at the age of 51 and decided it was time to get around to writing my book, which I always knew I was going to.

“I used to write poetry when I was in the police and I studied creative writing with the Open University, it was stress-release and a bit of fun and a mental challenge but I always knew I had a book ready to write and that’s how Retribution came about, and how a follow-up, Hacked, has followed on.

“People think it must be hard work but it’s not at all because if you love what you do you are never really working.”

So far 140 books have been sold, paper-books and e-books, with more than 11,000 pages read on Kindle Unlimited.

As a result, £240 has been added to the coffers of MND Scotland.

Now Hacked is due for publication at the end of this month with the royalties again going to the charity.

To find out more about Simon log on to:https://www.simondaleybooks.com/