Brighton boxer Paul Halpin will bring to an end a personal nightmare tonight when he returns to the ring after 18 months

The super-featherweight begins his comeback against Gary Reid, from Manchester, at York Hall, Bethnal Green, hoping to open a new chapter on a rollercoaster career.

Since turning professional, Halpin has twice had to overcome a career-threatening blood disorder.

Injuries and acrimonious splits from trainers and promoters have also contributed to his stop-start life in the ring.

This is a make or break year for the undefeated 26-year-old. He has not been in the ring since beating Eddie Nivens in August 2000. Shortly afterwards he was diagnoses as having a low blood platelet count and his licence was withdrawn.

Now Halpin, who spent time in prison as a teenager, is hoping the bad times are behind him. He is determined to cash in on the talent that secured him the Southern Area featherweight title in 1999 and become a role model for others who have also faced adversity in their lives.

Halpin said: "Don't expect me to perform too many miracles in my first couple of fights.

"I have probably had better sparring sessions in the past couple of weeks than I have had in my whole boxing career. But it is so different when you put those gloves on and I think it is going to take me that little bit of time to get my distance, timing and speed back together again.

"But hopefully, touch wood, some good things can come my way this year and my promoter Frank Warren hopes to have me fighting for a title in the summer."

Although he's wary of ring-rust, Halpin can't wait to fight again.

He said: "I have so much aggression at the moment I am smashing my sparring partners up. I'm so excited about getting back in the ring that I can't sleep, I get up and go for runs at three in the morning. My girlfriend thinks I am mad."

Halpin has the support of top trainer Jimmy McDonnell in his quest for success.

McDonnell works with a select few at the Kronk Gym in London, including British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Danny Williams.

Halpin has nothing but respect for the former European featherweight champion.

He said: "Jimmy Mac has got to be one of the best trainers out there. He's definitely the best trainer in this country and one of the best in the world."

Coping with the injuries and setbacks have not been easy for Halpin, who admits he thought about throwing it all in when he felt himself slipping back into the bad old days when he got in trouble with the police and ended up in prison.

The lowest point came last year when a low blood platelet count robbed him of his licence and a crack at the intercontinental title against Gavin Rees.

Halpin admitted: "Trying to stick with it and travelling to London to train was difficult. The motivation was really going. I was getting told I was going to get my licence back, then told it would be another six months.

"I felt myself slipping down that road to disaster but somehow I pulled myself back. My little girl helped me. I am just glad that gave me my licence back when they did."

Now Halpin would dearly love to transform his life with success and the security that brings. He would also like to change a few other people's lives.

Halpin said: "I don't want to be one of these sportspeople who want to be mega-famous or change the world.

"I want to change my life, I want to change my daughter Tiabella's life and, if possible, I would like to be a role model for young kids.

"I would love to be given the chance to be a role model for kids who, maybe like myself, were disruptive at school.

"When I was at school I was always outside the headmaster's office. When I left school I started running around with the wrong people and things went from bad to worse. It got to stage that every Friday and Saturday night my mum was having to pick me up from the police station and she would be in tears.

"In the end I got put in prison for two-and-a-half years and that was really a turning point in my life. I put my family through hell. This is an opportunity to say thank you to them and is a chance to show people that I have grown up a lot.

"My boxing has helped me do that and so has my daughter."

"I have tried so hard to keep on that straight and narrow but then I got an injury that led me off a bit.

"Then I split with my promoters, had my low platelet count, had the cuts and then the second low platelet count again. It's been so frustrating. I have been out of the ring more than I have been in it."

That is something he hopes to remedy starting tonight.

Halpin added: "Most trainers have said there is so much talent there and it would be a shame to miss the boat really."