Rampaging rages are being soothed away with the help of a new counselling service in Bradford.

The self-help group, part of Off the Record, aims to help the growing numbers of people suffering from serious rages taking a grip, such as on the road or in the office, with the first group sessions starting on Wednesday.

The service, based in Barry Street, Bradford, is free and has come in the nick of time for former Falklands war medic Doug Padgett who said he had struggled for months to find a counsellor before his anger boiled over.

Mr Padgett, 43, of Daisy Hill Back Lane, Bradford, said: "I had just separated from my partner and lost my 11-month-old daughter and was under a great deal of emotional and physical stress.

"The frustration was growing all the time until I managed to find Off the Record through a friend eight weeks later."

Mr Padgett has been diagnosed as suffering from post traumatic stress disorder from his time in the Falklands, the same affliction which struck people involved in the 1985 Bradford City fire.

He added: "There really has to be a lot more awareness of anger counselling. It's a growing problem and lot of people do need help. It only seems to be available once it has spilled over into actual violence, but by then it's too late."

One counsellor at Off the Record, Hawaiian-born Lani Ralph, said England in general suffered from a lack of understanding of anger control.

She said: "Where I first trained in California, counselling is much more widely used and accepted. It's much worse in England, and worse still in the North.

"I had about six people for the first group, but I'm sure that once it becomes well known a lot more people who need counselling will get in touch."

Richard Hackford, deputy manager of the Bradford and District Health Promotion Service, said: "Anger management is fairly new but people are realising it is something which needs to be addressed."

To find out more about Off the Record's service ring Ms Ralph on (01274) 733080.

e-mail: kanchan.dutt@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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