They plan to knock my house down in a few months, together with the rest of the street, which isn’t a bad thing given that the houses are in such a state. They could have done them up years ago, but they left them to rot, and they’ve no choice now but to demolish them. I don’t know yet where I’ll go, but I’m not too worried about that. I’ll be given four thousand pounds when I leave to help me find somewhere else.

My dad took vallium and he drank too much. He didn’t work except to do the odd bit of window cleaning and he collected a bit of scrap metal. My mum couldn’t cope with me so, when I was fourteen, I was sent away to a Family Group Home. I used to run away over the hills and back to my real aunty’s in South Bank. I went to my aunty’s rather than back home because my parents sent me straight back whereas my aunty was more sympathetic.

I started drinking when I was twelve and I haven’t stopped since. I had to find money for the drink so I stole and burgled and that led to prison sentences. Now I drink between twelve and fifteen litres of cider a day. If I stop drinking I can’t see or speak.

I was married for a while and I have two children, a girl of nine and a boy of four. I’m only allowed to see them under the supervision of my sister, so I go to her place between Redcar and Saltburn, but that’s only for four hours every month. I would need some strength to stop drinking and I won’t find that unless I’m out of South Bank. And I don’t see any point in stopping unless I could see more of my children.