The final book of a well known historian has been published.

Last year Waltham Abbey born Raymond Sears died at the age of 89.

Behind him the former haberdasher left the Ray Sears Collection, which celebrated the photographic history of the town, and the first draft of ‘Waltham in Wartime’.

Aware of his increasing age, Mr Sears had worked tirelessly to have the book published before his death since 2013 using a collection of images he began to compile in the 1990s.

Although he would not live to see the project finished, long term collaborator Jonathan Foster put the posthumous touches on a book that is published next week.

The retired teacher said: "Ray was concerned that, as the older people of the town died, knowledge of the effect of the First World War had virtually disappeared and there were fewer and fewer people left with first-hand knowledge of the Second World War.

"Those who remained were mostly, like him, only children at the time.

"‘Waltham in Wartime’ concentrates predominantly on the twentieth century and how the town and people of Waltham Abbey experienced war.

"The book is liberally illustrated with local photographs collected by Ray from the Boer War, the Great War and the Second World War, and Second World War photographs taken by Edward Carter, the town’s Chief Air Raid Warden."

‘Waltham in Wartime’ is available for £10.95 from the end of May and has 263 photographs and illustrations over 136 pages.

Order online at walthamabbeyarchive.com or purchase through the Waltham Abbey Tourist Office, Epping Forest District Museum.