HAVING someone to believe in him has made all the difference to a former addict who is now on his way to realising his dream of becoming a youth worker.

Shane Langstreth, from Doffcocker, was addicted to cannabis and was arrested for selling the class B drug two years ago.

Mr Langstreth, aged 35, enrolled on educational courses thanks to help from his probation worker, Val Holmes, and is turning his life around.

He said: "What I did was stupid, but in a funny way it’s helped give me the kick up the backside I needed.

“Val has been unbelievable. I was really nervous about starting probation, but she has given me support and encouragement and opened my eyes to a whole range of possibilities.

“I know it’s Val’s job, but she is such a nice lady. She pushed me in the right direction, and part of the reason I’m doing this is I want her to be proud of me. I’ve never had someone like Val in my life. It does help when you have someone who believes in you.”

Mr Langstreth began peddling cannabis in a desperate attempt to clear a mountain of debt. Police raided his house in 2016 and found him with four ounces of the drug, scales and associated paraphernalia.

He was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence and 180 hours community payback. He also enrolled with Bolton Integrated Drug and Alcohol Service of his own volition and successfully quit the drug.

Mr Langstreth has now been clean from drugs for more than a year, having started smoking cannabis when he was in his early teens.

He said: "I was in care. Smoking helped me block stuff out. I’d been bullied and there was a lot of stuff I wanted to forget.

"I feel much better now that I’ve quit.

"I used to smoke from waking up. It wasn’t doing me any good, and was also costing me about £60 per day. Then I turned to selling weed.

“I’m ashamed about what I did. I spent much of my life feeling useless and that I was a nobody.

“But now I feel I have something to offer and I always have a smile on my face.”

Ms Holmes is Mr Langstreth's probation case manager, she is based in the Bolton office of the Cheshire & Greater Manchester Community Rehabilitation Company.

Mr Langstreth dropped out of school and Ms Holmes encouraged him to completed a Getting To Know Yourself course which led to him enrolling on introductory maths and English courses and has excelled to such an extent that he is about to start a GCSE English course and an IT course later this year.

Ms Holmes said: "When I first met Shane he had no confidence. The difference in him is striking. He wants to take his education all the way, and his course tutor is thrilled by his progress and believes he is capable of doing a degree.

“His progress has impressed family members who had previously written him off. I am delighted about the positive steps he has taken and expect great things from Shane.”