AN iconic anti-drugs campaigner from the 1980s dropped by to see the work of Redbridge drug and alcohol addiction charity Drugsline.

Lee MacDonald, 37, played Zammo Maguire in the children's television series Grange Hill for five years and fronted it's hugely successful just say no' campaign in 1986.

After presenting a Grange Hill Christmas special on cable channel E4, he was invited to drop in on a training session for volunteers at the centre in Gants Hill, only a few minutes drive from Grange Hill itself.

He said: "It was really good. It was different because I've not been involved with drugs campaigns for 20 years and now it's more of an education on drugs. When we were doing it, the message was just say no', but now drugs are so widespread there's more help for people who are on them.

"Drug and alcohol misuse affects people from all walks of life and it's vital that anyone in crisis is aware of the facilities available to them."

The first series of Grange Hill aired in 1978 and, 20 years ago this month, Lee and the Grange Hill cast had a top ten hit with the anti-drugs anthem Just Say No.

The cast members sang it again last year at a re-union organised by Channel Four but Lee says there are no plans to re-release the song for the anniversary.

He said: "We had a bit of a reunion among the cast members about a week ago and it was really good to meet up with some of the people. It's amazing, they're all parents with kids now. Next year they are doing quite a lot for the 30th anniversary of Grange Hill but there's nothing that I know of for the single."

Lee and Erkan Mustafa, who played Roland Browning, presented a Christmas Day special on E4 but these days acting and presenting is more of a sideline for Lee who now owns a lock and safe business in Croydon. He has never fully lived down, however, being one of the most famous children in the country.

He said: "It's really surprising and my girlfriend finds it unbelievable. At one time I would be recognised every day, in Sainsbury's and everywhere, because people have got very fond memories of Grange Hill."

At Drugsline, Lee spoke to the charity's director, Rabbi Aryeh Sufrin, about how it got its anti-drugs message across to young people.

Rabbi Sufrin said: "We were really excited to have Lee come along to the training evening. The just say no' campaign was extremely high profile at the time but the problems still remain. We really need to continue to focus not only on how to assist those in the grip of substance addiction, but also on how to help young people to abstain in the first place."