Essex journalist Steve Crancher is about to publish a new book on the county's dialect, following the success of his first phonetic dictionary.

Essex - Sumfing Else! is a tongue-in-cheek look at the rich local dialect of Essex, with words and phrases written down phonetically - such as 'a mustard mit' (I must admit).

It also includes amusing tales about the county's history and famous people from the area, as well as cartoons by Steve's friend Ash and the late Richard Scollins.

Steve, a sub-editor for the Southend Standard, was asked to write the book by publisher Countryside Books, as a follow-up to Dijja Wanna Say Sumfing?

The first book sold several thousand copies and was featured in The Sun and the Sunday People. Terry Wogan also read out extracts on Radio 2.

Steve, (45), said: "I couldn't believe the reaction.

"I did a lot of radio interviews and things were a bit crazy for a couple of weeks."

Steve has also written and published How to Support a Crap Football Team as well as a history of Westcliffe, and he is also set to publish a biography on Eddie and the Hot Rods.

He said: "Writing books is something I enjoy. If I have a flash of inspiration I'll get up at midnight and work through until my inspiration runs out, even if I've been at work all day."