FOUR prison inmates have appeared on a DVD aimed at discouraging drug and alcohol abuse.

The young men, from Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, appear on a Care UK DVD, recounting how their involvement with the drugs and alcohol led to a life of crime.

The 11-minute film was the idea of healthcare support worker, Lindsay Burton, who works in the prison's healthcare unit, run by Care UK.

She said: “We had been using a very old VHS video as a health promotion aid but when it finally gave up the ghost, we talked about producing a new DVD.

“We approached some of our clients with alcohol-related convictions to see if they would be interesting in taking part in the DVD, telling their story, and four were very keen to do so.

“Everyone is very happy with the finished DVD.

“We hope it will be used by other young offender institutions and prisons and we are also exploring how it may be used in the community.”