A SNEAKING suspicion that some of his childhood neighbours were not entirely human planted a seed in the mind of comedian Julian Clary for a rather fabulous children’s book series.

And today he shared some side-splittingly funny snippets from his new incognito hyena novel – The Bolds - with children at Meadowpark School in Cricklade.

Julian – whose sister Bev Millin is a teacher at the school – told the pupils: “I wrote this story because when Mrs Millin and I were growing up on a street just like the one here there was a family with a lot of hair.

"As a little boy I used to watch them and wonder if they were animals in disguise. I have always thought that animals are just as clever as humans.”

The story of The Bolds sees clever hyenas Spot and Sue snap at the chance of a human life when newlywed humans Fred and Amelia suffer the untimely demise in the jaws of a crocodile while on safari in Africa. Spotting their clothes – complete with passports – they embark on a new life in suburban Teddington, although chaos ensues upon the birth of their two pups Betty and Bobby.

After reading extracts – which also included the revelation that there is in fact a couple of giraffes living in Richmond working as shelf stackers in Waitrose, as well as the importance of a hyena keeping its tail well hidden, as it’s rather noticeable during a PE class – he opened the floor to questions from the pupils.

Julian said his visit to the school had been “just delightful".

“I have done a few book events and I didn’t realise what fun they were and just how interested the children are,” he said.

“The children are very straightforward with their questions and their answers, it is a whole new world for me.

"It is very liberating for me to write for children and to get away from the usual things that I am normally associated with – it is all a little more innocent.”

Bev said it had been a fabulous afternoon.

She said: “The children have been ever so excited about him coming, especially the older children who have more of an understanding of what an author does.

"For me it was so funny reading the book because it did remind me of my childhood, certain things in there like street names and descriptions of some of the characters.”

Julian has already completed his second novel in the series – The Bolds To The Rescue – which will be published in February, while a third novel is also in the pipeline.

But before he left the school, he officially opened the new adventure playground.