Shropshire Star photographer Pete Shah is swopping print for television after Sir Patrick Moore gave him a call to say his pictures would soon appear on BBC’s astronomy programme Sky at Night.

Mr Shah, 36, of Meifod, is the assistant chief photographer on the Shropshire Star but has been star struck since he was just six years old.

After building his own observatory in his back garden he began to turn his camera to the skies.

But a phonecall last week left him star struck for a different reason when he realised Patrick Moore was on the end of the line.

“I met him and his co-presenter on Sky at Night Dr Chris Lintott at Astrofest and they liked my pictures and asked me to send some to them,” said Mr Shah.

“I then sent a disc with my pictures on it and I sent Patrick Moore a letter saying it was nice meeting him.

“Then he sent me back a letter, written on his 1908 Woodstock typewriter which he writes all his books on and still uses. He said my pictures were very good and asked if he could use them on the Sky at Night.

“I replied saying yes and he then sent another letter asking about my equipment and whether I was on the phone. I replied and then out of the blue on Tuesday night the phone rang and it was Patrick Moore.”

Mr Shah, a member of the Shropshire Astronomical Society, said the 30 pictures, which show comets, galaxys and nebulas, will be used to illustrate topics on the programme – the world’s longest-running show still with an original presenter.

Patrick Moore began presenting the monthly show in April 1957.

And Mr Shah has also been given an open invitation to go and visit Patrick Moore at his home in Surrey.

“He said whenever I was in his neck of the woods I was welcome to pop in and take a look around.”