Online gambling

Compulsive - gambling can become addictive. PA Images

Three years ago 30-year-old Paul T from Kettering had a life changing experience.

He received a DVD in the post from an online bookmakers.

The disc was promoting its online casino.

Paul was intrigued and was soon hooked, spending hours at his computer every day.

One day in particular sticks out in Paul's mind:

"I was playing blackjack and poker. I won a bit and then started losing. In just an hour I lost nearly £20,000.

"When I realised I'd lost, I just sat at the screen. A rushing feeling came to my head. I couldn't believe I'd just lost that. I didn't know what to do.

"The next day I woke up and thought it was all a dream, but I checked and it wasn't. I felt sick and I couldn't eat all day…"

Paul soon found himself £100,000 in debt, and he was forced to re-mortgage his house.

But instead of using the money to pay off his debts, he went back to the computer and gambled it all away again.

Finally Paul faced up to his problem.

He went to the Consumer Credit Counselling Service and they helped him get his finances back in order.

A hard lesson

Today Paul T has paid off most of his debts and says he's learnt his lesson.

Booming business - gambling is a big money game. Image: PA

Paul says, "I'll never gamble again. I've learnt that no matter how stable in life you are, you can still get drawn into online gambling.

"When I finally pay off my debts, I'm going to have a glass of champagne and look back on the lowest point of my life and say to myself I got out of there…"

It's estimated that within the next four years gambling operators in the UK will generate revenue of more than £600 million a year.

Industry figures from last year suggest that around 14 million Europeans visited online gambling sites every month, a 45 per cent increase on the previous year.

Help at hand

If you have a problem with gambling, there are places you can go to for help:

Gam Care - offers a confidential service for anyone who has gambling problems, and also offers help to relations and friends.

National phone line 0845 6000133.

Gamblers Anonymous - a support group for people with gambling problems. Helpline 0207 3843040.

Consumer Credit Counselling - free confidential advice and support.

Links relating to this story:

• Gam Care
• Gamblers Anonymous
• Consumer Credit Counselling Service

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Urban explorers

Explorer with a mission - inside Simon Cornwell's world

There's so much to see and do in the east of England - especially if you're into history.

There are thousands of years of rich heritage to be explored, archaeological sites and plenty of places to visit for free.

But for some people, that's still not enough.

Inside the explorer's world

Welcome to the world of the urban explorer.

Simon Cornwell, a computer specialist from Cambridge, is fascinated by old buildings, which have been left to decay.

These are by their very nature on private land and not open to the public.

Derelict buildings are attractive to urban explorers

Urban Explorers never break in, they only enter through open doorways, gaps in fences, etc

They have strict rules - they never break or steal anything.

Inside Out followed Simon as he checked out a derelict asylum.

It used to house nearly 2,000 patients, and the padded cell is still intact.

Although he's breaking civil trespass laws, urban explorers like Simon claim if there's no gap in a fence or other opening, they don't go in.

If he did, he'd be committing a criminal offence.

Links relating to this story:

• Urban Explorers.net
• Wikipedia - urban exploration

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites

Ken Wallis

Magnificent man in his flying machine - Ken Wallis

For the past 40 years the skies above Norfolk have echoed to the sound of an extraordinary flying machine - the autogyro.

But what's even more amazing is the man who flies them - a wartime hero, inventor and real life James Bond all wrapped into one.

Ken Wallis may now be in his 90th year but his passion for the autogyro has never faltered.

Every chance he gets, he still takes to the skies in one of his self-built craft which flies much in the same way as a sycamore seed spirals through the air.

Born to fly

It could be said Ken was born to fly.

In 1908 his father and uncle, who lived in Cambridgeshire, built one of the very first aircraft - the Wallbro.

Flying high - Ken Wallis has high hopes for his autogyro

Their passion for engineering was infectious, and by the time Ken was 11, he had made his first motorcycle.

During World War Two Ken flew Wellington bombers, and in the 1950s piloted a gigantic nuclear bomber known as the Peacemaker.

But it's the tiny autogyros that give him the biggest thrill and even led to him appearing as Sean Connery's double as he flew one of his inventions in the James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice'.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Ken is now planning to add to his long list of world records and still wants to fulfil his life's ambition to see the autogyro go into full production.

Links relating to this story:

• BBC Norfolk - Ken Wallis
• Ken Wallis Autogyro
• Wikipedia - Ken Wallis

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites