Exactly two years after the Selby rail disaster claimed the life of Professor Steve Baldwin, his pioneering clinic for hyperactive children has re-opened at Teesside University.

Health Correspondent Barry Nelson hears about his inspiring work.

SOMETHING had happened to James. The toddler was a perfectly normal child until he reached his first birthday, but then it started. James went from being a placid baby to a little boy who demanded attention 24 hours a day.

"I have two older children, so I knew that things weren't right. It soon became an absolute nightmare," says Sandra Urwin, from Linthorpe, Middlesbrough. "You got home after work and he was in your face - he craved attention all the time. You couldn't leave him on his own for fear he might hurt himself."

Coping with her out-of-control young son was so exhausting and stressful that Sandra shamefacedly remembers telling her mother that she couldn't stand it any longer.

"I remember my mother coming to pick him up one morning and I said I was so sick of him. I felt terrible for saying that. I suppose I was at the end of my tether," says Sandra, who suspects the triple MMR vaccine may have had an influence on her son's change of behaviour.

"The hyperactivity was unreal. You had to closely watch him all the time - the worry was that he was putting himself in danger."

Her other children had always gone to bed more or less at the same time every night, but not James. He used to get up at two o'clock in the morning and wouldn't go back to bed. Eventually, his parents caved in and put a television and video machine in his bedroom so he could entertain himself in the small hours.

At the age of four, James was taken to see the couple's GP. A referral to a paediatrician followed and the diagnosis of probable ADHD. The fact that tens of thousands of other families are affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD) - was no consolation to James's parents.

It was suggested that their little boy might benefit from Ritalin, an amphetamine-based drug increasingly prescribed to combat hyperactivity in children. While supporters claim it can be very effective, some detractors say that the drug turns children into "zombies".

Popular in the United States, Ritalin is increasingly being prescribed in Britain. Statistics show that 208,000 prescriptions for Ritalin were issued in the UK during 2001, compared to 2,000 in 1992, but Sandra and George felt uneasy about giving their child such a powerful drug.

"I was very, very dubious. My husband and I really didn't like the idea," recalls Sandra.

What really bothered the couple was the apparent lack of any alternatives to Ritalin. "We hadn't explored any other avenues. It seemed to be the first option rather than the last. James was just four years old, after all," says Sandra.

Still wondering what to do, the Teesside University admin worker was at work when she happened to overhear a conversation about a new book by one of the university's brightest rising stars.

Sandra already knew the larger-than-life, extrovert social sciences professor Steve Baldwin but had no idea that he was a passionate opponent of giving Ritalin to hyperactive children. At the time - four years ago - Steve was setting up his pioneering CACTUS (Clinical and Counselling Treatment Units) Clinic which was to be featured in a BBC One Panorama programme about Ritalin in 2000.

Steve believed that giving amphetamine-based drugs to children was totally wrong and advocated a non-drug approach, including special diets, counselling and psychotherapy. Within a short time the unique Middlebrough clinic began receiving referrals from desperate parents all over Britain.

"It seemed uncanny that we were facing this dilemma about giving Ritalin to our son when this should happen - the timing was amazing," remembers Sandra. "We had a look at the book and arranged to have a chat with Steve. Then I sat in on a workshop. I was inspired by what Steve had to say about Ritalin and how to manage a hyperactive child. I was told in layman's terms what doctors don't seem very keen to tell you about this drug."

Suddenly, it all became clear. The couple realised that Ritalin was not the way forward for their son. "We didn't want him on Ritalin. James has a lovely character and we think that would have been taken away," says Sandra.

James was never actually a client of Steve Baldwin's but inspired by his views on Ritalin, the couple decided to put their son on a healthier diet, supplemented by daily fish oil produced by health foods firm Equazen.

The same Omega 3 fatty acid supplements are currently the subject of a major trial in County Durham primary schools, where encouraging results have been reported.

The couple also decided to put all their efforts into obtaining a statement of special educational needs which would allow James to obtain the help that he needed.

"It was a huge effort but we were successful and he is now at the speech and language unit at Overfield Junior School in Ormesby. He is coming on in leaps and bounds. It is wonderful," says Sandra.

She is also convinced that the Equazen linctus is helping to control her son's hyperactivity. "I was very sceptical at first but I thought I would give it a go. There is no doubt about it that the Omega 3 fatty acid supplements take the edge off his hyperactivity."

Everyone at Teesside University was shocked by Steve Baldwin's tragic death in the Selby rail crash two years ago - but it was particularly hard to take for parents who had benefited from his anti-drug message. "It is still difficult to believe he has gone and we desperately wanted his clinic to continue," says Sandra.

Last February The Northern Echo confirmed exclusively that the university was pursuing plans to revive the clinic. Today - thanks to a generous gift by Steve Baldwin's family - the CACTUS Clinic is re-opening.

It is headed by Dr David Woodhouse, former head of psychology and Rebecca Anderson, 25, a former pupil of Steve, who is determined to carry on the professor's work. She was struck by his use of extracts from The Simpsons cartoon series about a dysfunctional American family to illustrate some of the points he wanted to make.

"I started getting interested in ADHD because of Steve and soon decided it was what I wanted to do," says Rebecca.

After completing a postgraduate diploma in counselling psychology at Teesside, Rebecca was asked to join the revived CACTUS team.

Rebecca and her colleague Carol Pickles will counsel children and their families while two external nutrition experts, Peter Bennett and Angela Beacroft, will advise parents and children on diet.

Despite the strong views of her former tutor, Rebecca stresses that the new clinic is not anti-Ritalin.

"Our policy is to inform the children and their families about the drug so they can make choices. Through the counselling we hope that the children will take charge of their behaviour," she says. "We want to understand and empower them so they know right from wrong.

Today Rebecca will take her place alongside Steve Baldwin's former colleague Dr David Stein, now an associate professor in the US who has flown in to give his support, to formally reopen the CACTUS clinic.

"Although it is nearly two years since Steve died, the re-opening of CACTUS is very much a new beginning, " says Rebecca.