A CHEEKY chimp called Munks is looking for county children to share his adventures.

His first escapade is for Acorns Children's Hospice. A cuddly Munks will be waiting in the charity's shops in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye to be taken home.

He is the creation of 35-year-old author Mary Allan who has also written a book featuring Munks to sell in aid of Acorns' new hospice for the three counties.

A Visit to the Dentist is the former air stewardess's first book and was inspired when she heard a story about a little girl who needed an important operation.

"I have always dreamed of becoming a writer and the idea for this series came to me one day while I was listening to the radio in my car,''said Mary, who lives on the Herefordshire border with Malvern.

She added: "I started thinking about the difficulties parents must face when explaining situations to children."

She describes Munks as a very cheeky monkey who gets tangled up in disasters as well as fun with his friends Corby and Humphrey.

Mary has printed 5,000 of the books and all profits will be sent to Acorns.