HE went from hero to zero.

At 13, George Brown had pluckily risked his life to assist a police officer being savagely attacked by a gang of roughs and for his remarkable act of bravery he received a medal from Baden-Powell, one of only eight to have been awarded in England.

His stock rose higher when he was employed by a local branch of coal merchants, his endeavour and ability readily attracting the attention of his bosses who wanted him transferred to head office for promotion.

But to their astonishment, he politely refused. No matter how they asked, the invitation was met with a courteous 'No, thank you.'

The reason sadly came all too clear.

The impressionable teenager had become infatuated with an actress playing the Principal Boy in the panto. He wanted to impress her - and impress he did, showering her with gifts.

But at a cost.

He could ill-afford the money.

As the lack of entries in the firm's cash book fully illustrated, he had been embezzling takings. Receipts that should have been entered were either discovered in his box at work or kit bag.

Harry Reader, manager of the firm's head office in Above bar, Southampton, spoke of their disappointment in Brown: "We had a very high opinion of the boy and he was to have been promoted."

Brown, 17, pleaded guilty to three charges when his case came before the town's magistrates in 1913.

Having alluded to the family's financial hardship and his lack of parental guidance, Arthur Emanuel told the court in mitigation of his infatuation.

"He got mixed up with a certain lady at the theatre and being weak, he became infatuated with this woman. There was additional circumstance that he had large sums of money in cash paid to him.

"In a moment of weakness, he committed the first offence and the others followed as a matter of course."

The clerk, Forbes Bassett inquired: "What was the woman's age?"

Emanuel replied: "I don't know exactly. She was the Principal Boy."

To onlookers' amusement, the clerk drily commented: "Principal Boys range from any age."

E R Ensor, prosecuting, confirmed that several letters from the actress had been found among his possessions, confirming he had been spending money on her.

Emanuel implored the Bench: "I hope you will not send him into the world tainted with prison life but give him the benefit of probation."

But having retired, the chairman rejected his appeal.

"We regret we cannot adopt the course you recommended but in view of all the circumstances of the case, we will not impose such a heavy penalty as otherwise might have done. You must go to jail for three months with hard labour."