A crime correspondent for Sky News who grew up in Ely will return to the city to talk about his first book on Wednesday May 24.

Martin Brunt, a former paperboy at Burrows, went to Ely schools and then Soham Grammar, while his father was an Ely teacher and sang in the choir at Ely Cathedral, where his ashes are buried; his mum also worked at King's Ely for 35 years. 

Mr Brunt was chief reporter at the Sunday Mirror, before moving to Sky in 1989. He has covered and led the headlines on a string of major crime stories since then, and been widely acknowledged as having unparalleled sources.

One journalist said that when he phoned Suffolk Police for a comment on a case, he was told: 'Call Martin Brunt. He knows everything before we do.'

Topping & Company Booksellers, who are hosting the talk at St Peter's Church, said: "In this compelling 'One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter', Martin Brunt draws on the most shocking and harrowing stories he's covered over 30 years to document the life of a crime reporter and assess the public obsession with crime that his reporting caters for.

"He also considers the wider relationship between the press and the police, the impact of social media and the question of why some crimes are ignored while others grip the nation.

"Featuring many undisclosed details on some of the biggest cases Brunt has covered, from the 'Diamond Wheezers' to Fred and Rose West, this blend of storytelling and analysis is not only a riveting overview of the nature of crime reporting but a reflection on the purpose of the profession in the first place.

Admission costs £20 (includes book) or £8 (early bird, including redeemable voucher against a copy of the book). Doors 7pm. Starts 7.30pm. 

Book a ticket via www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/ely/martin-brunt-2023/