A TRAUMATISED veteran who lived a life of crime has turned his fortunes around thanks to a North-East charity.

Former RAF serviceman Keith Cooper ended up in prison after his descent into alcohol and crime caused him to lose almost everything – including his family.

After working with Durham-based charity Veterans at Ease (VAE) and Darlington’s NECA, Mr Cooper has now turned his life around.

The 57-year-old has rebuilt relationships with family members, turned his back on alcohol and begun training as a volunteer with NECA, which helps those affected by addiction issues.

Last week (Thursday October 16), Mr Cooper and daughter Kelly-Anne handed over a cheque to VEA after their fundraising efforts saw Asda nominate the cause for their Green Token Scheme.

Mr Cooper said: “I did 12 tours of Northern Ireland from 1975 to 1986 and it was very bad – I was just 18 and hadn’t been on my first squadron six months when I saw a whole civilian family lost.

“On another occasion, I was searching for devices in a derelict house that we suspected because it had a brand new doorbell.

“I was going carefully up the stairs when someone shouted and told me it was rigged – if I had put a foot wrong, none of us would have been here today.”

Every day life can still present a challenge to Mr Cooper, who turned to alcohol to cope with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

He said: “I suffer very badly with PTSD, I’ve been out 28 years but things in civilian life can still affect me.

“My local snooker hall leaves empty beer kegs outside and that’s a big trigger for me because I know what damage they can do if filled with explosives – I couldn’t walk past them.

“Garreth from VAE helped me get past that and got me and my family back together – now I want other people to support him as he’s supported others.”

Garreth Murrell, veteran and founder of VAE, said: “It’s fabulous to see Keith in a much better place.

“To see a veteran walk through the door in a world of pain and see them at the other end, when they’ve got through their issues is so rewarding.

“We’ve walked the same path in military life, got through it and now we’re building a band of brothers – it’s remarkable.”