Mum had told me to stay in my bedroom, but I couldn’t help standing at the side of the hallway window and watching what was happening through the small gap in the curtain.

The police cars were flashing away and understandably were causing quite the scene in the quiet cul−de−sac where my parents lived. I could see some curtains twitching, no doubt the elderly residents being concerned that perhaps there had been a break in or something like that. But alas, that wasn’t the case.

It was Gavin making quite the scene instead, now my secret was out for all to know about.

Gavin was obviously drunk; I could see him staggering backwards as the police officer was trying to get him to move away from the house and ‘cool off’. But he didn’t