The Tom Thorne writer recalls the attack that helped him write so realistically about fear

Bestselling crime writer Mark Billingham is recalling the fear he felt when held hostage by three masked men who bound and gagged him in a Manchester hotel room.

- Mark Billingham

It was 1997, when he had ordered room service with a writing partner while working on a TV series.

When Mark answered the door thinking it was someone to collect the tray, the pair were confronted by attackers in balaclavas who barged in, punched Mark in the face, put a bag over his head and forced them both on to the floor.

They demanded his PINs, before one made off with his bank cards while the others kept guard, kicking them if either moved.

They were held for hours while the robber used cashpoints either side of midnight to get the most money he could. It was only when the room went quiet that Mark realised his captors had fled. They were never caught.

Mark, 63, doesn't know if they were armed, but says they didn't need to be in order to instil fear.

"You just do what you're told. The worst thing was not knowing what was going to happen. I was there for about three hours with a bag over my head, not knowing if they would kill me.

"The worst thing is thinking, Am I going to see my wife and kids again?' As far as violent crime goes, I didn't get too badly hurt. But I know what it's like to be scared"

This happened nearly 30 years ago, before he became a novelist, but it gave him the ability to describe victims' fear first-hand, which now dominates much of his writing. The event inspired his novel, Scaredy Cat.

"I still have very mild PTSD and I'm very bad in crowds. I jump at any kind of shock, surprise or sudden noise, reacting to it really badly.