ALMOST completely deaf, with deteriorating eyesight, on paper Colin Dexter may not sound like a particularly promising public speaker.

The author of Inspector Morse, however, is a witty raconteur with a fine line in self-deprecation.

Dexter, 78, related fascinating tales of working with John Morse and Kevin Whately and explained the inspiration behind the famous character.

The biggest laughs and applause were saved for an anecdote about his first attempt at completing a walk-on part in the show, hampered by his inability to hear the director’s call of “take one”.

Other highlights included a reading from one of his Morse novels, to prove that Morse did indeed “get some action with the ladies”, and a story about his attempts to watch Billie Piper’s raunchy Sectret Diary of a Call Girl TV show behind his wife’s back.

The sell-out audience at The Ramada was transfixed by Dexter and the drop of a pin could be heard when he was working his way toward his many punchlines.

After the interval, he answered any questions and could have gone on all night. Judging by the audience’s reaction, nobody would have minded.