PARENTS DEFEND OVERDOSE PICTURES

Rachel Whitear's body as it was found in her flat The parents of a
21-year-old who died of a heroin overdose have defended their decision to
release graphic pictures of their daughter's body.

Mick and Pauline Holcroft, of Ledbury, Herefordshire, said they had no
regrets about showing the police photographs of Rachel Whitear, but were
"overwhelmed" by media attention that followed their publication.

The 22-minute film, entitled Rachel's Story, which shows how a "beautiful
and brilliant" schoolgirl turned into a heroin addict, is being used as part
of a package of measures to emphasise an anti-drugs message in secondary
schools.

At a press conference on Friday, the Holcrofts said they found other
pictures of their daughter, looking happy and healthy, to be the most
upsetting.

They maintained the photographs of Rachel's body were "a very small part" of
the anti-drugs video, and they did not wish them to detract from the wider
message being conveyed in the film.

Pauline Holcroft, 52, said of the pictures: "We realised that when we
released them that they would be distasteful to some people."

Her husband Mick added: "We don't regret them... but we've had such a
tremendous response that we weren't expecting."

Daughter's Battle

Mrs Holcroft talked about her daughter's painful battle to overcome her
addiction, saying she had managed to come off the drug on "three or four
occasions" but always slipped back.

Rachel, who had dropped out of university, had written verses detailing her
pain and torment as she struggled with heroin use and these words also
featured in the video.

Mrs Holcroft said: "That is the more powerful part of the film... that comes
straight from Rachel... that's her words".

Mrs Holcroft said she was sure her daughter would have approved of their
decision to show the images.

The Holcrofts were unable to fulfil Rachel's request to donate her organs
after her death, her mother said, but the video release was something else
they could do.

"We feel we have donated her life," she said.

"She would not have wanted to see other people suffer as she did."

Controversial

The decision to release the pictures was praised by the parents of teenage
ecstasy victim Leah Betts but pressure group DrugScope suggested the photos
would be of little use.

"If it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone."

Rachel's mother and stepfather believe she first took heroin when she was
18, after being introduced to it by an older boyfriend who was an addict.

At first she kept her habit under control, was accepted by five universities
and went to read psychology and sociology at Bath University.

But her addiction continued, and her parents noticed her personality had
changed from fun-loving and outgoing to unhappy, insecure and unreliable.

She dropped out of university after one term and went to live in Exmouth
with her boyfriend.

She died of an overdose in rented rooms in the town in May 2000, aged 21,
just days after phoning her parents to say she was leaving her boyfriend and
coming home.

Her body lay undiscovered for three days.

The police photograph shows her body keeled over on the floor, with bruised
and discoloured flesh and a hypodermic syringe in her hand.

The Department of Health-backed video is to be released to secondary schools
in Herefordshire later this year.

The family hopes it will become a national educational resource.