THAI Boxing champ Sandy Holt is encouraging young people to kick drugs by taking up martial arts.

Sandy, who runs the Bolton Thai Boxing Club, says he was inspired to take action after reading in the BEN about the tragic death of a Bolton teenager through heroin abuse.

Phillip Saunders, who was a talented sportsman, died aged 18, after taking drugs for three years.

Sandy, a British Lightweight and All-Styles Thai Boxing Champion, said: "I am totally against drugs. So much so that I plan to relaunch the 'Kick Drugs' scheme - kick being the optimum word. I'm keen to get school children involved as I'm sure we all agree that a lot of things start from school - violence, bullying, stealing, drinking, smoking, swearing and worst of all drugs! I don't condone any of these in society and especially within my teaching of Thai Boxing, as it has a lot of discipline and self control aspects within its main aims of promoting self defence and self confidence."

The first "Kick Drugs" scheme was supported by the police, Bolton Crime Prevention Panel, Bolton Leisure Services, City Challenge and Bolton Health Authority.

Sandy can be contacted on Bolton 395807.

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