A former drug addict who turned his life around now faces a brand new challenge - and this time he’s doing it for charity.

Nick Reed, 40, who lives with partner Jane on West Park Drive, will attempt to complete the Three Peaks Challenge in September, climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in Cumbria and Snowdon in Snowdonia in just two to three days with son Declan, 18.

Nick, who is a drug and alcohol support and key worker for Reach Out and Recover (ROAR), a housing project helping recovering addicts in Cheshire East, recently celebrated being four years free of a drug and alcohol addiction.

He said: “It will be good to give something back to a community I just took from, I want to raise as much money as possible.

“In my 22 years of active addiction all I did was take from people, places and situations to feed it.

“I had a really bad reputation and was stealing things.

“I was crying all the time with guilt and shame, I was broken but just couldn’t stop taking drugs.

“I got to the point where I didn’t want to live but I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my children.”

The father-of-five, whose story was featured on BBC’s North West Tonight, even spent time in prison abroad because of his addiction.

Then in 2011 he finally sought the help of staff at the Barnabas Centre and began a six month rehabilitation programme the same year in Warrington.

Since being clean Nick has given talks in prisons about his experiences and worked with drug and alcohol services in Cheshire East, founding a drug and alcohol recovery support group called Changing Lanes in 2013.

He and his son Declan have been training hard, roping in Nick’s dad Dave Reed, for a trial run climbing Scafell Pike, which the pair managed in two and a half hours.

Nick said: “No matter where you’ve been and how bad things get, if you’re ready and want it, change is possible.

“Just take action and ask for help.”

Funds raised from the challenge will be shared between ROAR, as well as Macmillan, East Cheshire Hospice, Fallen Angels, a dance company for people in recovery and West End Impact, a charity for the homeless in Morecambe.

To donate go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/NicholasFaithReed.