A BALLINGRY man is going behind bars in his efforts to help prisoners to turn their lives around.

Paul Boggie has started on a venture which will see him visit four Scottish prisons to tell his story of how he beat a heroin addiction, joined the army and how he now hopes to inspire others to change.

As reported previous by the Times, Paul penned his book, 'Heroin to Hero' last year which tells the story of how he grew up in Edinburgh's Craigentinny where he lost his way and ended up on Portobello beach taking heroin and a mixture of other drugs.

He managed to ditch drugs and joined the Scots Guards, which saw him involved in royal occasions in London before he was medically discharged from service after a car crash.

Paul, who has lives in Kirktoun Park, took his book along on his recent visit to Saughton Prison and is now planning a return after experiencing such a positive response.

"I have been invited into four prisons across Scotland," he explained. The one I did a few weeks ago was Saughton prison and I have been invited into Barlinnie, Polmont Young Offenders and Perth.

"The one in Saughton, they said bring your book along and you can speak to the inmates and try and speak to them and then it was a question and answer thing.

"I was a little bit nervous. I went along and was in for an hour and a half. It went down really well and after, I got a message to say the governor had authorised buying 24 copies of the book and I have been invited to go back there."

Paul's story has also been inspiring people across the country to kick their habits through a Facebook support group which he set up during lockdown.

"I was in the house a lot and I was trying to share my story about how I beat heroin addiction with people," he explained. "Obviously social media was the easiest way for me to do that. I set up a closed support group where I was working with addicts every day.

"I have always said when I left the army if I could just help one person through my story, I have done a good thing. I am working with addicts and explaining and advising them, giving them tips.

"I have been in recovery for 17 years and hope I can inspire people. I have had people dropping off their methadone programme. One girl is over two months clean. Another guy who was on drugs for 25 years and has been now over a year off those drugs.

"They are now setting up their own support groups which is amazing. These people felt they were down and out and they are capable of so much more."