Instead, he trained in martial arts and went on to become a five-times karate world champion.
Since retiring from martial arts he's brought that same determination to helping disaffected young people, through sport and cultural activities.
He founded a charity, the Youth Charter for Sport, Culture and Arts, in 1993 following the shooting of 14-year-old Benji Stanley in Moss Side, Manchester. Its key messages is that sport and the arts can be used to divert disaffected youth from crime, by building young people's self-confidence and skills - a message being taken on board by government.
For example, the Youth Justice Board's Splash initiative has reported significant success in using a programme of arts, sport and other activities to keep potentially disruptive young people out of trouble during the summer holidays.
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