Sleepless twist to Dickens' London

Author's late-night wanders inspired rogues, paupers & buffoons of books

- BY NICOLA METHVEN TV Editor

CHARLES Dickens was an insomniac who roamed the crime-ridden streets late at night to find inspiration for his characters.

The author's walks are said to have given him an insight into the dark underbelly of Victorian London, a three-part BBC series will reveal.

His encounters of pickpockets, prostitutes and paupers were incorporated into his best-loved characters. And his experiences of grinding 19th century poverty shaped his social conscience.