For years Menston residents were unaware their village was the birthplace of literary legend Eric Knight who penned the classic children's tale Lassie.

And since the discovery was made by freelance writer Greg Christie, the village is buzzing with the news.

But, according to Menston resident Chris Greaves, who is also a Conservative councillor for Rombalds, it is too early to say whether the village will now become a tourist attraction.

"Whether we will have the Lassie trail, I am not quite sure, but I think Menston has produced a hero that children have enjoyed reading rather than endured reading."

Dale Smith, chairman of governors at Menston Primary School, where Mr Knight was a pupil, said: "We are delighted to hear of this connection. It is a very pleasant surprise."

And he said he would now be encouraging the pupils to carry out further investigations to find out more about the connection.

Mr Christie, of Norton, North Yorkshire is a fan of Knight's other book - Sam Small the Flying Yorkshireman. He made the remarkable discovery when he began researching Knight's background.

And his appeal for information in the Telegraph & Argus's sister paper The Wharfedale Observer in February helped him piece together the jigsaw which took him on a journey through the author's early life in Menston.

He uncovered the story of Mr Knight's determination to overcome adversity and his will to succeed.

Despite being forced to go to work at 13 to support his family, Knight, whose father died when he was three, was determined to get his education.

He juggled labouring at night in a Leeds bottle factory, now the site of the West Yorkshire Playhouse, with work at a glueworks in Halifax which has since disappeared owing to re-development.

By the time he was 15 he had saved sufficient cash to fund a trip to America - the country where he would meet the four-legged friend who would open up a new chapter in his life.

His original ambition was to become a painter. He funded himself through school by working on ranches at weekends, selling newspapers and panning for gold during vacations, but his hopes were dashed when he discovered he was colour-blind.

He then found a new career opening through his love of the theatre and silent movies and, after pestering newspaper editors, was eventually taken on by the Philadelphia Public Ledger.

By 1928 he was working in Hollywood as a highly paid and admired critic and he also wrote two widely acclaimed novels.

He eventually bought a small ranch in Zelah, California, and would spend weekends there as a part-time farmer.

And it was there that his neighbour gave him a fluffy brown and white collie-cross pup in exchange for his plough. Lassie was born.

His new-found four-legged friend inspired him to write the adventures which captured the hearts of children worldwide.

In 1938 he wrote a short story for the Saturday Evening Post called Lassie Come Home and it was the birth of a legend which hit the silver screen in 1943.

He had returned home following the outbreak of the First World War and spent three years fighting in the trenches.

And whenthe second world war broke out in Europe, he was determined to do his bit. He tried to re-enlist but was too old. Instead he joined the US Army and by the time the Americans entered the war he was a Major.

Desperate to return to his roots, he begged for a UK posting which was granted in January 1943.

But his yearning to return home to Yorkshire was never fulfilled - he was one of 33 on an American army transport plane who were killed in a crash off Dutch Guiana on January 23 1943.

Eric left behind his wife, an American continuity girl he met while on the film set of Lassie, and a daughter who now lives in Canada.

He also left a legacy which would be enjoyed by generations to come.