WARTIME aviation author Dilip Sarkar has decided to wind up the publishing business he started with his wife, Anita, 11 years ago.

The title of his latest book, Last Look Back, may prove prophetic - he has been unable to write a follow-up in time for release in May 2004.

"For the first time ever, the motivation was not there," said the 41-year-old author of 17 books on the Battle of Britain and its Spitfire heroes.

"After lengthy deliberations, therefore, Anita and I have decided to wind up Ramrod Publications."

Deeply affected by the death of his father, Worcester magistrate and charity worker Trid Sarkar, in December 2001, Dilip said he felt as though he had been running full pelt and had suddenly tripped up.

"For years, I worked at full throttle as a police officer, researcher, author, publisher and parent," said the Malvern-based beat manager who lives in Worcester.

"I think I realised that everything I was doing was a battle to win appreciation and I have nothing to prove anymore to anyone.

"I always thrive best when there's a battle to be fought."

Dilip's interest in the Battle of Britain began when he was a child, watching an uncle build model Spitfires on the kitchen table.

His literary career took off after he joined the police and was posted to Malvern.

In 1986, he helped found the Malvern Spitfire Team to excavate the wreck of a Spitfire flown by Polish airman Frank Surma, which crashed near Madresfield, Malvern, in 1941.

His first book Spitfire Squadron followed in 1990, and Ramrod Publications was founded in 1992, to publish his second, The Invisible Thread: A Spitfire's Tale.

Since then, without any previous training or experience, he and Anita have published 16 of Dilip's books and two by Robert Rudhall.

Dilip's research brought him friendship with many of the Battle of Britain's aviation aces, including the late Spitfire pilot Johnnie Johnson.

"We have had such a buzz over the years at having these fantastic people with us at book launches, but it's not fair to continue to expect them to turn out now they are very elderly," he said.

The Sarkars are now building an extension so that Dilip's mother, Janet, can live with them and Dilip is looking forward to having more time for his other passion, scuba diving.

With his 11-year-old son, James, he is also planning a trip to Normandy next year for the 60th anniversary of D-Day and is hoping to buy a Second World War military vehicle for the trip.