INDIE author David Leadbetter from Haxby has been crowned the winner of the inaugural UK Kindle Storyteller Award, with his crime thriller The Relic Hunters securing him the £20,000 cash prize.

He will also receive a marketing campaign to support the book on Amazon.co.uk, access to a mentor and the opportunity to have his book translated.

Mr Leadbeater, 51, who has sold more than 750,000 copies across his 23 bestselling books on Amazon, was presented with his prize by model, actor and literacy campaigner Lily Cole.

“Winning the Kindle Storyteller Award has been a life-changing experience and I am completely in shock,” he said.

“It’s an honour to be chosen as the winner and truly wonderful to have The Relic Hunters selected from such a strong shortlist. It is thanks to my readers that I have won this prize and for that I am truly thankful.

"I am excited for the next chapter in my storytelling career and hopefully with the profile this prize has given me, my stories will reach more readers.”

Lily Cole said: "I love the democratic accessibility of this prize. It has encouraged more people to write and independently publish, and invited readers to participate in rewarding new writers."

She was on a panel of judges that including bestselling indie author Rachel Abbott, book editors and members of the Amazon books team.

Six authors were shortlisted from thousands of entries, based on a number of factors driven by customer interest in the titles.

The Relic Hunters is an archaeological action adventure story that follows relic smuggler Guy Bodie across the world as he tracks down famous objects throughout history.

Five years ago Mr Leadbeater was working in sales at a York builders' merchant and hoping that a publisher might be interested in one of his novels.

He decided to self-publish and writes while his daughters are at school.