A new book looking at how local people can "reclaim politics", written by a former Mayor of Frome, has been released.

Flatpack Democracy 2.0 has been written by Peter Macfadyen, with additional text by Peter Andrews, and it follows on from the first Flatpack Democracy book that examined how Independents for Frome seized power in the town.

Peter Macfadyen was Mayor of Frome, and a local councillor for eight years. Through his council work he began to understand local government.

He has spoken throughout the UK and abroad on the importance of a thriving local democracy.

He said: "As faith in our political system and politicians continues to plummet, finding an alternative that empowers people to rescue their own communities is vital.

"How can politics be reclaimed by local people? This is the question Flatpack Democracy 2.0 sets out to answer.

"Fed up with seeing their valued local services crumble over time, in 2011 a group of local residents, working together, made a successful bid to take over Frome's town council.

"Unhampered by the constraints of party politics, they set out to find out what the residents of Frome really needed and to make big changes in how the council was run.

"Flatpack Democracy 2.0 draws on the experiences of other places who've gone independent and provides the tools for taking action to reclaim local politics.

"Following the success of the IfF at the last election and the extensive press and media coverage generated by Flatpack Democracy, what was a local movement is fast becoming a national phenomenon."

Flatpack Democracy is out now, priced at £9.99.