Troubled Hampshire teenager Peter has got his life back on track after years of upset and anger. Kate Thompson tells his story...

ALAN used to dread leaving his unruly step-grandson at home for fear of what the out-of-control teenager would get up to.

A kindly man, with heaps of patience, the grandfather was taken to the edge of despair by the youngster he gave a home to ten years ago.

Peter would steal from Alan and go on wrecking sprees in the area close to his Southampton home.

He and his friends would smash windows, scare elderly church-goers and swear at passers-by.

On one occasion he was caught throwing eggs in the local convenience store and he would pick a fight with other boys with only the slightest provocation.

"All this started when he was about ten years old. He was playing up at junior school and then he was eventually expelled from senior school.

"He was home all the time and I couldn't go out anywhere because I was afraid of what he would get up to.

"I couldn't take him anywhere with me because of his behaviour, so my life was very restricted.

"It was very difficult and upsetting. Whenever he went out of the house I would wait for the phone call to tell me what he had been up to.

"He was always getting into trouble and the situation was getting progressively worse."

When he was bad I would send him to his room but directly he got out again, he would be in trouble.

"He would tell me he wouldn't misbehave and then he would deliberately defy me - it was really depressing," said Alan.

Peter agreed he was a real handful who made life a misery for those living around him.

"I was in trouble a lot with the police and, at school, I was always being sent home and eventually I was expelled.

"When I was younger I used to like school but towards the end of junior school I started hating it and when I went to secondary school it was a downhill slope.

"I was in fights and arguments with teachers and I was always using bad language.

"I didn't really know what I was doing. I couldn't control myself and I never really cared what people thought of me," he admitted.

His behaviour became so extreme that Alan feared the worst.

"The way he was going I thought he was going to end up in a youth custody centre.

"I knew inside he was a good boy but he was out of control and I really did fear for his future," he said.

Finally in a bid to control him, an Anti-Social Behaviour Contract was issued by the city courts and Peter began working with Charlie Andrews of the anti-social behaviour team to turn his life around.

"Acceptable Behaviour Contracts or ABCs are drawn up in partnership between the council and police.

"The contracts are used to set out boundaries of behaviour and they are a voluntary contract.

"Peter has done really well and you can see the progress he has made," she said.

The contract lasted a year but Peter was still having trouble at school and in an unusual move, he volunteered to take on a second ABC to try to make his life better.

A diagnosis of ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - helped to explain why Peter was so out of control and the youngster now takes strong medication to alter his mood swings.

Peter attends the Melbourne Centre in St Mary's - a pupil referral unit - and is sampling bricklaying, plumbing, woodwork, painting and decorating at Southampton City College.

"I prefer the Melbourne Centre to proper school. The teachers are more realistic and quite a lot of the teachers working there were kicked out of school themselves.

"It helps sometimes knowing they have done the same things as me," said Peter, who is studying for four GCSEs.

Alan is justifiably proud of the transformation in his step-grandson and the future now looks more rosy.

"He is far more trustworthy now. I know I can go out and leave him at home and it won't be like it was before.

"I vowed I would never turn my back on Peter even when times were really hard.

"I had already lost one grandson when he was taken into care and eventually adopted - I didn't want that to happen again," said Peter.

Now the youngster is calmer and more caring - and a career in the army beckons.

"Considering they said I would probably end up in prison in a couple of years if I carried on as I was, I am pleased I have been able to change," said Peter.