NO-ONE was more proud than 24-year-old Peter James on Saturday when he married his bride at Okehampton's Fairplace Chapel — just five years ago his life was in tatters from a dependency on drugs and alcohol.

Peter admits he had never achieved anything of significance before, at home, at school or at work. But the Gilead Foundation near Okehampton has helped give him back self-worth and value.

Apart from meeting his wife Beth at Gilead, Peter has worked his way up to foreman at the Christian charity's farm at Risdon and is studying agricultural at Duchy College.

He said he had always wanted to get married but never thought it would happen — especially to the pastor's daughter!

'Beth's dad, Ian Samuel, started Gilead,' he said. 'She and I became friends during my rehabilitation programme and we got together afterwards — eight months later I proposed.'

Peter was born in Newcastle where his parents split up when he was eight. By the age of 14 he was drinking and taking drugs regularly to deaden the emotional pain.

'I was expelled from school and later joined the Army but was kicked out because I was always in trouble,' he admitted. 'I was very rebellious and never did what I was told.

'I ended up as a bouncer at nightclubs but my problems became worse. As soon as I woke up I would start drinking and I was taking a lot of drugs — I became very depressed and I had no desire to live.'

At the age of 19 Peter heard about Gilead, which has been helping some of the most desperate and deprived people in society since 1988.

A place became free and he took it, although he admits at the time he was looking for a way out of Newcastle.

'I was in a lot of trouble with a lot of people and this allowed me to get away,' he said. 'At the time I found it very difficult because I could no longer turn to drink and drugs to get me through.

'I learnt the hard way but I realised taking these substances gets you nowhere. Gilead uses the bible to show you a better way of life and when you see the people who go there you realise it is full of walking miracles.'

Peter has built bridges with his family, one example being the contact he has made with his father after seven years, and he is currently in the middle of a NVQ level three course in farm livestock.

'I never thought I would be able to go to college because in the past I would just have messed around and never taken it seriously,' he said.

His new wife Beth, who manages the dairy retail business at Gilead, agreed that Peter was a reformed character.

'He was very rebellious and arrogant when he first came here,' she said.

'He did not respect any authority and I would not not look twice at someone like that let only marry them.

'He has changed such a lot — he is really mature and responsible now.'

The couple plan to continue living on the farm at Gilead and Peter hopes to become a pastor in the future like his father-in-law.

Press officer for Gilead, Joanna Drew, said this was the fourth wedding of couples who met through the charity.

'Peter was one of our worst cases,' she said.

'If it was not for someone or something like Gilead he would probably not be alive now. He is a great guy and everybody here has been really excited about the wedding.'