Due to the narcotics and alcohol that were still in his system, Jed was in an obstinate mood. ‘Ooh, Mrs Cullen now, is it?’ Jed mocked, grinning at the po-faced social worker.

‘Just go upstairs, Jed,’ Alice ordered.

Jed put Georgie on the sofa, flopped down next to her and lifted Harry onto his lap. ‘As you can see, my kids love me very much, darlin’, so what’s your problem? Why do you keep coming round ’ere and sticking your trunk in where it ain’t wanted?’ Jed jeered in an arrogant tone.

‘Yeah, Jed’s a blinding dad, so why don’t you go and nuisance someone else?’ Sammy said, backing his cousin up as per usual.

‘I’ve no doubt that you love your children and they love you, Mr O’Hara, but if you don’t comply with the court’s ruling over their schooling, then I’m afraid you could cause yourself problems,’ Carol said, wording the sentence as nicely as she could. Jed’s eyes were glazed, his pupils were enormous and he was obviously high, drunk, or both. How he had driven home in that state she didn’t know, and as he stared at her, she decided there and then that if she had to return to the O’Haras’ again, she would bring a colleague with her for safety purposes.

‘Now, you listen to me, sweetheart. I never went to school, neither did my mother, father, my brothers or Sammy boy over there. It ain’t affected our ability to get on in the world and it won’t affect my chavvies either. These schools teach a load of old bollocks that kids never get to use in life anyway. I can teach ’em how to be streetwise and how to earn a crust. Before my brother Marky got murdered, he’d just bought five acres of land over in Kent, and look at this gaff my dad owns. Our family are no dinlos and if Georgie girl don’t wanna go a school, then she’ll be taught all she needs to know by me and her grandparents.’

‘But the courts won’t –’

Jed stopped Carol Cullen mid-sentence. ‘Fuck you and the courts! What yous people don’t seem to understand is a traveller’s way of life is totally different to the shallow little existences that yous gorjers lead. I bet I can guess what you’ve got, a three- or four-bedroomed house, a husband you’re bored with, a couple of kids, a dog and a fucking cat. And I bet the highlight of your whole year is the one or two foreign holidays that you go on. Am I right or am I wrong?’