Mr Mitchell said he had been in a similar position several years ago when his stepson started to hang around with the wrong people and said he did not know where to turn.

BBC: Street gang affected parents get helpline in Nottingham

Both states gave George W. Bush a double-digit margin of victory four years ago, but John McCain is having to work to hang onto them.

NPR: Reliably GOP States Still In Play In Presidential Race

There was, you might reasonably have reflected until about three years ago, more chance of them allowing John Prescott to go hang-gliding.

BBC: Chick Young's view