Hendon features prominently in a new, hard-hitting novel tackling the issues of drugs in sport and the rapid spread of steroid abuse for image-enhancing bodybuilding.

Over the Line is by Hendon author Steve Howell, who grew up in the area and attended St Mary’s School and Hendon County School, where he captained the school athletics team alongside his friend the politician Peter Mandelson.

The book tells the story of Megan Edwards, Britain’s poster girl for the 2016 Rio Olympics who trains at Copthall Stadium in Barnet. She becomes engulfed in a drugs scandal and a police investigation into the steroid-linked death of an old school friend.

Steroid abuse by image-conscious teenage boys for bodybuilding is now so common. Steve reveals that rules were changed last year to allow under-18s to receive needle exchange services to prevent the spread of hepatitis B and HIV. Also, use of anabolic steroids can lead to life-threatening conditions such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and liver or kidney tumours.

“When I started writing the book I didn’t expect it to be punctuated so often by stories of steroid-related deaths,“ says Steve.

“About 18 months ago, I was spurred to finish the book when a relative of a colleague told me of the death of his bodybuilder son from a heart attack.

“The drive behind writing the book was my determination to shed some light on steroid abuse.“

Over the Line is available from Amazon.