By Alexis Akwagyiram BBC News Online

Paul McCabe now runs a business after moving away from crime

BBC News Online spoke to a former criminal turned award-winning businessman.

At the age of 22 Paul McCabe hit rock bottom.

After a decade of drug use and petty crime he found himself staring out of prison bars contemplating his future.

"I realised that I'd either end up dead or in prison for the rest of my life", he recalls.

That thought altered the course of his life.

The 29-year-old from Kidlington, Oxfordshire, is happily married with a 22-month-old daughter.

Drug addiction

He runs Energy & Vision - an organisation which gives advice to schoolchildren, parole officers and the Home Office on the best way to overcome addiction related problems.

"I am very proud of what I have achieved," he says.

"I was asked to talk to children at a local school about drug use and crime. I enjoyed it and I made such an impact that I decided to do it on a full-time basis.

"I was mentored, set up the business and it grew from there. Now there are 10 members of staff and we have won numerous awards".

Paul started using drugs at an early age.

You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it Paul McCabe Scheme targets prolific criminals

He started sniffing glue at 11 and quickly progressed to cannabis, before experimenting with heroin at 15.

"I was heavily dependant on heroin and my life had become very low," he recalls.

His drug use was funded through burglary and drug dealing.

An armed robbery on a post office when he was 17 led to a four year stint in various young offenders' institutions.

After a number of stretches behind bars, Paul realised he needed help and enrolled on to a rehabilitation programme.

Following the 14-month-long programme he worked as a builder: "I promised myself I would stick with it because I had never had a proper job and led an honest, decent life," he said.

It was while working as a builder that he was invited to give a talk at a school, an experience which he enjoyed so much that he wanted to pursue it full-time.

'In the gutter'

With the help of fellow ex-addict Spencer Hudson, an office was set up, the organisation was registered as a charity and a business plan was drawn up to attract financial support.

Energy & Vision started with �13, 000 from Oxford City Council and the Lloyds TSB Foundation.

"Since the business started I have never looked back," says Paul.

"I was in the gutter and I am very proud of the people who got me out, as well as being proud of myself.

"I have had some great experiences and worked with some wonderful people."

Paul, who now has qualifications in business and counselling, now tours schools with other members of the Energy & Vision staff.

Meeting the Queen

The business also carries out consultancy work for the Home Office and are involved with the training of police officers.

"We show people in authority how to deal with drug users. If we hadn't lived that kind of life, we wouldn't know hot to do this," he says.

In 2001 Energy & Vision won a Prince's Trust Business of the Year award and last November Paul visited Buckingham Palace to receive a "Pioneer in the Life of our Nation" award from the Queen.

Recalling the event, he said: "It was unbelievable - a very surreal experience. I was surrounded by great people like Sir Paul McCartney and Richard Branson. There were awesome people - and me."

Paul's advice to persistent criminals is simple: "Anything is achievable and you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it."