A Poole man has written a thriller which he hopes will raise enough money so he can take on the last unachieved polar record – walking, unaided and unassisted, 1,600 miles across Antarctica.

Chris Foot, 42, a former SAS sergeant who was the youngest member of the elite regiment when he passed selection, has penned The Clinic, a novel that borrows from his extreme experiences.

Writing under the pen name Ray Carole, he was 22 when he joined the legendary Special Forces unit and he served around the world in a variety of theatres.

Afterwards he attempted to be the first person to walk, unaided, to the South Pole and back.

This mission, which he was forced to abort at the pole due to the season ending, features in the semi-autobiographical narrative in his psychological thriller.

It is the first of a trilogy and Chris, who is now an entrepreneur working in tech and property. He has also written a screenplay for the book.

He said, “I left the SAS aged 31 but really missed elements of it; the elitism and being part of it all. There was certainly a new fear of normality too.

“As I had never done anything in isolation I raced to the North Pole and then attempted to be the first person ever to walk 1,430 miles unaided to the South Pole and back.

“After arriving late to the continent due to the weather I wasn’t able to make the return journey having got to the pole in 41 days.

“One character in the book makes the same attempt so I was able to describe it accurately, following all the same timelines and struggles.

“Although the book is fictional there are semi-autobiographical elements and it is about someone searching for sanity”

“I had never read any fiction before I decided to write this, so I read a lot of books and found a style and a story.

“Having failed the attempt make the return journey to the South Pole my next aim is to complete the last real record remaining.

“That is a 1,600-mile solo trek from the Ross Ice Shelf to Berkner Island via the South Pole. It will be the longest route ever attempted without support.

“It costs a lot of money for an expedition like this and I’ll be looking for sponsorship, but money the book brings in will help.”

The Clinic is published by Troubador and is available from online sites as well as the author’s site RayCarole.com.