'I was so high I set myself on fire – and boyfriend filmed it'

RECOVERED Midlands addict mum has revealed shocking footage of how she was so high she set herself on fire while her laughing boyfriend filmed it for his mates.

- NEIL SHAW News Reporter

Olivia Taylor says she had a 'normal middle-class upbringing' and first tried alcohol at the age of 14.

But when her parents divorced when she was 18 her addiction 'spiralled.' The now 30-year-old says she was drinking up to a litre of vodka a day and 'binged' crack cocaine and heroin.

The former addict claims she ended up in such a state that she set herself on fire while lying in bed during an argument with an ex-boyfriend. Finally clean, Olivia claims she has 'not touched' alcohol for two years and has not done drugs for three years. Now working as an addiction coach, Olivia is advocating for rehabilitation in the UK to take a focus on addicts' mental health and find the 'root cause' of the problem.

Olivia, from Bridgnorth, Shropshire, pictured now, said: "I had a very normal middle-class upbringing and I started drinking around 14-15, trying it at the park with friends.

"When my parents divorced at 18, it brought up a lot of mental health issues and my addiction just spiralled very quickly out of control.