A RECOVERING alcoholic has written a book of poetry to help others struggling with addiction.

Daniel Stuttard who lives in Clitheroe, has been struggling with alcoholism for the last 40 years, and despite knowing he can never be fully cured, he is fighting it.

Mr Stuttard's poetry book, P*** Pot Dan Drinks Can After Can After Can, is a frank account of his struggles, and he's hoping his experiences over the years might go some way towards stopping other young men and women from falling into the spiralling void of alcoholism.

Mr Stuttard said: "The main idea of writing this was to help me, to give me something to take my mind off the next bottle or can.

"But I do hope it helps others and encourages them to try a new focus.

"Crosswords never interested me, nor writing. But I reckon that everyone can find something. They just need to look."

Mr Stuttard was just 11 and on a football tour when he had his first drink, and far from being easy, his life has been somewhat of a struggle.

He has had to be dried out a couple of times and even ended up being sectioned after falling off the wagon, but despite this he held down a responsible job with a big company for more than 20 years.

Over the last few months, writing the book has provided Mr Stuttard with a focus.

And the Blackburn Rovers supporter, who is now in his 50s, feels that at last, his life has turned a corner.

He said: "Everyone makes mistakes, but that doesn't mean they have to pay for them for the rest of their life.

"Sometimes, good people make bad choices. It doesn't mean they are bad. It means they are human.

"I've worked hard at keeping off the ale. I deserve to move on and be happy and it's the same for many others in the same boat."

His poetry book, which he describes as 'a frank, dark and sometimes humorous look at an alcoholic's journey,' can be found on Amazon.