A mother who shopped her son to the police has vowed to help save other families from the scourge of drugs.

Susan Gale called the police after finding a wrap of “brown powder” at her family home in Compton Road, Lindfield, near Haywards Heath.

Officers then found more than £9,000 worth of ecstasy in the boot of son 22-year-old son Oliver Perver-Gale's car.

Ms Gale, 57, who works as a health visitor for Haywards Heath family planning clinic and is a trustee for the charity Time4Children, says she wants others to benefit from her experiences.

She said: “I can only offer my 29 years of experience as a health worker and my experiences with Oliver to help parents and children.

“Every parent in Britain must worry about their children every day of their life. If I can help by talking to others, to help prevent the misery I have had to suffer, then it will be worth it.

“Hopefully I can be there for people.

“Who knows? In the long run I might even set up my own organisation or charity.

“I’m 57 but I don’t want to retire yet. If I can dedicate the rest of my life to helping others then I will do that. If anything, I at least owe it to Oliver.”

Ms Gale, who said other parents should adopt her “tough love” stance, admitted she had to face the fact that her son might never speak to her again.

Perver-Gale has not spoken to his mother since he was jailed for 18 months and has not replied to letters sent to him at Camp Hill Prison, on the Isle of Wight.

Speaking to the Daily Express she said: “I have to realise that he might not ever speak to me again, that is the risk I took, but I just had to do something, “I hope that in time Oliver will want to understand why I had to do it but if there is any way in which I can help or prevent this from happening to other children then I will do it.”

Ms Gale said the father of her two sons, millionaire John Perver, had also refused to speak to her, but said her younger son Jonathan, 20, supported her campaign.

Ms Gale has been a volunteer and trustee for Time4Children since January 2007.

The charity aims to promote good mental health for children in Sussex aged four to 18.

They run creative listening sessions for children to communicate their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment.

Time4Children also work in schools to aid early intervention in identifying problems. Last June the charity received a grant to help with their work from Burgess Hill Town Council.

In 2007 Ms Gale also helped organise a parenting conference at Haywards Heath's Princess Royal Hospital.