THE INSPIRATION behind the eponymous cult hero of the 1980s British film "Withnail and I" has been traced back to Penwith by a local author.

Colin Bacon, who lives in Newlyn, has written a new book, "Vivian and I", about his relationship with aspiring actor Vivian Mackerrell – on whom the iconic Withnail was based.

Born in May 1945, Vivian shared a house with Bruce Robinson – the director and writer of the film and a "hotch potch" of emerging British talent who frequented late sixties bohemian Camden.

It was this relationship which later inspired Bruce Robinson to base the character Withnail on his close friend.

In the 1987 film, starring Richard E Grant and Paul McGann, Withnail is an unemployable actor with a propensity to cover himself in "Deep Heat" to keep out the cold and is partial to the odd bottle of wine before breakfast. The story takes place between the seriously down and out actor's flat in London and the rugged countryside of Cumbria.

During his research for the book, Colin, who is originally from Nottingham but now lives in Newlyn, discovered that Vivian had strong links with Penwith.

He recalls: "It was quite uncanny. I knew quite a bit about Viv's family but not the Cornish connection. Doing some early research it transpired that Viv's uncle Charles Kingsley Thomas was a mining engineer based in West Penwith. What was more amazing was that my wife, an avid Withnail fan whom I was always trying to impress with my Vivian anecdotes, turned out to very closely related to the man, which rather took the wind out of my sails."

Vivian's mother was Jeanetta Boyns Thomas and he shared mutual antecedents in Nicholas and Honor Boyns, who lived at the family home, Boswedden House in St Just, with Colin's wife, Paula.

As a young actor, Vivian Mackerrell had the junior lead in the play of the year "Hadrian V11" at the Mermaid and a variety of television roles came thick and fast.

It was then, however, that his life began its descent into a maelstrom of frustration, shattered dreams and chronic alcoholism, Mr Bacon said.

He died in 1995 at the age of 51, having suffered throat cancer. Mr Bacon's story encompasses the half century from the end of the second world war to the height of the Ecstasy era. Colin added: "Vivian Mackerrell's life was peppered with the talents of others. It is a story involving Bruce Robinson, Sir Paul Smith, Murray Melvin and a wealth of colourful eccentrics including past lovers and friends, all who help to fuel the Withnail myth."

● "Vivian and I" is published by Quartet Books, priced £12.