AN Oxfordshire author became so frustrated at the lack of information on the EU Referendum he has written his own book simplifying the issue.

Dr James Bacon penned the simple guide to the EU as a casual conversation between three people with differing views.

The Didcot writer hoped his plain-speaking guide would give the public enough information to make their own decision.

His research also led him to suggest the European Union itself was dreamt up in Oxford.

Mr Bacon said: "The book uses a discussion between three characters, Mary, Ken and Colin, to give arguments on both sides.

"Ken is EU-in, Colin is EU-out and Mary is the moderator.

"It cuts through the war of words and the confusion we are now getting from both sides."

The grandfather-of-five began his research early last year when he wanted to find out the facts for himself and his family.

An arduous trawl through hundreds of books and articles on the subject made him realise a simpler guide was needed.

The former academic in the field of information management, who lives with wife Carmel, said: "I just wanted to know whether we would be better off in or out of the EU.

"I ended up reading around 40 books and hundreds of articles - it is far from a simple subject.

He added: "It's an incredibly complicated area and - as Mary says to Ken and Colin in the book - we want to make it easier for people to make an informed decision, so we don't want to be giving any rubbish, rhetoric, false facts or hostilities like there is in a typical TV type of debate.

"I strongly believe each of us should make an informed decision in the referendum, based on reliable information - whatever that decision is."

Dr Bacon said his own decision would become clear on reading the book but urged others to read it before reaching their own conclusions ahead of the crucial vote on June 23.

His research into the history of the European Union revealed a close link between its conception and the city of Oxford.

He explained that Arthur Salter, whose descendants run the family company Salters Steamers, wrote a collection of papers in 1931 entitled: The United States of Europe, which he shared with his friend Jean Monnet.

He said: "It was Salter's organisational design that Jean Monnet, now known as the father of EU took and ran with, persuading European leaders to adopts in the 1930s and 1940s.

"Salter's design had a secretariat, a council of ministers, a parliamentary assembly, and a court of justice, which is what what have now."

The book In or Out? The 60-Minute Plain-Speaking Guide to the EU Referendum is available for £7.95 from amazon.co.uk