CONGRATULATIONS go to Julie Hayward who is spreading the word to teenagers about the dangers of drinking alcohol.

She knows first hand just how serious this can be after her own daughter, Amanda, was nearly killed when she ran in front of a car after drinking alco-pops. She was badly injured.

When a national campaign was launched to highlight the issue, Mrs Hayward was first in the queue to describe personally how traumatic the accident was and her story was sent around the country by trading standards officials.

Now she is prepared to talk to youngsters face-to-face in their schools.

Hearing a personal story about the consequences is far more hard hitting than dramatised adverts or posters. 'It wouldn't happen to me' would probably be the response from most youngsters.

Amanda herself knows she could have died because of her binge drinking session and supports her mother's campaign to get the message over.

Getting run over or damaging your body in other ways through excessive drinking is not cool.

But Amanda Hayward and her mother are very cool indeed.

THERE have been rumours flying around Cricklade that sex offenders and drug addicts will be moving into a house at Common Hill near Cricklade Country Club.

But psychiatrist Dr George Hibbert, who has applied to use the building for a family assessment centre, says people who attend will be families who will be monitored to see if they should have custody of their own children.

He is angry about the rumours and says it is disgraceful that people have been inflamed by wild talk that is untrue. The word paedophile makes people anxious, but the clients are not sex offenders.

People who jump to conclusions should not go scaremongering when they do not have all the facts.