Drug addict video diary released

Extracts from the video diary

A harrowing film made by a heroin addict chronicling the last year of his life has been released as a warning to the dangers of hard drugs.

Ben Rogers, 34, of Alton, Staffordshire, died of a deep vein thrombosis three days after finishing the film in July 2006.

The video contains graphic scenes of Mr Rogers injecting himself as well as confrontations with his family.

The film will be shown to schools to educate pupils about drugs.

Mr Rogers' mother Anne said: "Ben was a lovely child, everybody loved him, he was full of personality, but drugs destroyed him.

"Unfortunately, half of his life he was addicted."

Mrs Rogers said she noticed the decline in her son after he first took drugs aged 17.

She said: "Heroin robs you of your innocence. But it's good for me to remember him as he was at the beginning."

In one section of the film, Mr Rogers tells the camera: "I hope that when you look at this afterwards that you don't think I'm self-pitying, because I know that I've done this to myself."