By Andy Simon @AndySimon55

I can remember when and where I was when 11 year old Rhys Jones from Liverpool was murdered. I was fishing with my brother, and as the news came over on the radio, my brother and I were an hour into enjoying a peaceful few hours fishing.

We both sat in silence, and listened.

Soon after hearing that news, we packed up and went home. We simply couldn't fish anymore after hearing about that poor lad.

On the journey home, we spoke about the times when we were boys, growing up on the streets where we lived.

We were two typical boys, sometimes good, sometimes not.

We'd play at our local park, climb trees, play football, we even went scrumping in the local orchard. The farmer when he saw us (which wasn't often) would chase us off using expletives and language neither of us really understood. We had a good idea though.

Boys will be boys eh?

We had gangs too, nothing like the gangs of today, and none of them had guns, except ones where you put in the barrel, little coils of paper with little black dots which went BANG when you pulled the trigger, or if you were really posh, you had a spud gun.

Apart from that, gangs of my generation (and there were few) had no weapons. Perhaps the odd flick or pen knife, but no real guns.

And if a fight ever broke out, which was very, very rare, it was mainly over cigs (they were currency in some gangs) rock bands, football teams, or more often than not, girls.

But there were no guns. There were never any guns. Nobody got shot, or stabbed, and nobody ever died.At worse; you only got a black eye.

Forty three years later; my brother and I are yes, much older, a little wiser perhaps, but the streets we grew up in have changed considerably more than we have.

There is a gang culture of such ferocity out there now, very few of my generation can understand let alone conceive as, "Typical"

These are indeed; very different times.

And it was in a similar estate in the summer of 2007, an eleven year old boy from Liverpool, after doing pretty much the same things my brother and I did back in our day, lost his life, to a stray bullet, fired from a gun, held by a teenager, on a mountain bike.

The ITV four part drama, "Little Boy Blue", broadcast on Monday night at 9pm, chronicles the events that took place following Rhys Jones' murder, leading to the eventual conviction of his' killer, Sean Mercer.

When I first heard about Little Boy Blue I thought to myself, "Should I watch it? What will I learn from it? Is there a good reason for yet again (like in the Shannon Mathews drama) digging up the past? I don't know.

However In spite of my immediate reservations, I decided to give it a go. I was riveted within the first five minutes.

And I like many, who were watching, had to do a double-take upon seeing Rhys (played by Sonny Beyga) standing at the front door of his house. Because at first glance, he looked just like him.

I pretty much had to do the same for some of the other cast members as they showed up.

The direction and pace of this drama was first rate as well as deeply moving. Well; what do you expect from Paul Whittington who also directed the Shannon Mathews drama, "Moorside."

There probably wasn't a dry eye in the living rooms of those who were watching when Melanie Jones (Sinead Keenan) and husband Steve (Brían F O’Byrne) came to the morgue, to see Rhys lying under an Everton blanket, donated by a hospital staff member.

And if that wasn't enough for your heartstrings, there was the tribute from the fans of Everton football club, as the entire stadium rose together as one to their feet, to give a one minute applause, for Rhys and his family.

Then there was the scene in the Jones living room where the officer leading the investigation, Detective Inspector Dave [Ned] Kelly, brilliantly played by acclaimed actor, Stephen Graham, was clearly touched when Melanie reached for his hand, looked right in his eye and said, "Please help."

Finally; there is Sean Mercer, and his assorted associates.

Mercer; played by new face, "Paddy Rowan", actor and amateur boxer, looked as menacing as the real Mercer who I understand, according to media reports, is serving his life sentence (22 years) in a high security prison, "HMP Frankland" in Durham, un-affectionately known as ,"Monster Mansion Jail"

He apparently is worried this drama will give him Celebrity status in the prison, and make him a target for the other prisoners. As a consequence, again; according to media reports, Mercer has allegedly requested he be moved to another prison.

Something tells me he won't be getting his wish.

And I suspect there will be many people up and down the country who after having watched episode one of Little Boy Blue, will have absolutely no sympathy whatsoever for Sean Mercer, and his new set of some would say, deserved, circumstances.

This drama is tremendously good, this drama is tremendously powerful, brilliantly acted, well directed, and sadly, true.

However I do wonder if anything will change as a result of broadcasting this excellently made drama?

It probably won't make the streets my brother and I once played in any safer, nor will it bring Rhys Jones back, or even persuade the gangs out there to get rid of their guns.

How many lives would be made safer if that happened?

What this drama can hopefully do is remind us of how fragile we all are, and how precious life is. For if we can learn to respect each other, we could also learn to respect all life. Whatever the gang dispute, however offended one gang is because of the actions or deeds of the other, no conflict can ever be resolved with a gun.

Life is precious, very precious. So too; was the life of Rhys Jones. And so I watched "Little Boy Blue", out of respect for him.

Rhys has never been, nor will he ever be forgotten.And as long as we always remember him.

Rhys Jones, will never walk, alone.

ITV's powerful true life drama, "Little Boy Blue', continues next Monday at 9pm.

This review is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Rhys Jones, to his family, and friends.

Thanks for reading.

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