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Lydia lives in Southampton with her parents Brian and Tina, who own and manage a transport and courier company. After having a relatively settled upbringing as a pupil at a private school, she started to become the victim of bullying and she began to go off the rails when she was 14 years old. Elizabeth, who Lydia's 18-year-old sister, is described by her mother as a model daughter. She is studious calm and well behaved. Her and Lydia are like chalk and cheese, explains her mother. Lydia used to be very keen on dance and drama until she was 15 years old, when she got into drugs. 'Mum and Dad went mad about my piercings. They just said I looked like a twat.' 'Lydia is making our life a living hell, Brian says. 'The worst thing that she does is hang out in the park and down there are just losers. We know that in the past she's stolen stuff and bought drugs.' Tina adds: 'As soon as Lydia hit 13 she started wearing black clothes and heavy make up.' Lydia has had her lip and tongue pierced, and she pierced her ears herself. She has been hospitalised twice for overdosing on Ecstasy. 'She'll steal from anyone, Tina says. 'I find it all so devastating. She's so lovely and lively and pretty and she could do so much with her life, but she's doing nothing.' 
Lydia was unimpressed with the idea of Aspen. Her first comment about it was, 'Oh my God, there are no fit boys.' Now, her attitude has improved radically. She is trying hard to sort out a college course, a part-time job, and becoming a Millennium Volunteer, helping under-privileged children. She is passing all of her parents' random drugs tests. Her Mum says: 'Brat Camp gave her a short sharp shock as to where her life was going and made her reassess the company she was keeping and the amount of drugs she was taking. Lydia still wakes in a cold sweat wondering where she would have ended up if she hadn't done Brat Camp.' |
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