Veterans help stressed military personnel

A support service for veterans suffering post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be rolled out across Wales thanks to a £1m grant.

Change Step uses former service personnel to help others with mental health issues, loneliness, welfare or addiction problems.

The service was started in 2012 by Llandudno-based drug and alcohol charity Cais.

It will now be expanded across Wales after the Armed Forces Covenant (Libor) Fund gave a grant to the scheme.

It is thought around 4% of military veterans suffer some kind of mental health crisis, as a result of serving in a combat zone.

One of the volunteers, Sandy Shaw, a former Royal Military Police officer and security guard in Iraq, describes its effects.