Wild Thing: The True Story of Britain's Rightful Guv'nor

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But London Chris, now a kindly looking man of 73, failed to wrestle Birmingham’s bars from the hands of the city’s renowned Fewtrell brothers. It said: ‘‘To my dear friend Patsy. I hope all is well with you. You have been a real friend to me and my brothers. God bless you.’’

Yates was born June 1947 in Sutton, St Helens. As an amateur boxer he trained under George Gilbody Snr. and Herbie Golding. Yates once fought British boxer, Billy Aird, who was the European heavyweight champion, but Yates was disqualified for head-butting Billy. In response, he threw the referee across the ring, earning a ban from boxing. Lambrianou later turned to religion and after being released moved to Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, to live a quiet life.In his latest project – simply called Faces – he has convinced former gangsters, criminals or hardmen to pose for an incredible rogues gallery.

And he hopes to convince Birmingham’s own self-styled king of clubs Eddie Fewtrell to pose for the next publication. I don’t mean to glorify or glamorise crime, but there have always been criminals and always will be, so these books serve as an important social record.” The author, 51, has written numerous previous books lifting the lid on his own experiences as a gangster during the 1990s ecstasy boom, including Essex Boys which was made into a film. Another Birmingham Face to appear in Bernard’s second book, due out in November, is Brummie Patsy Manning.

As the mourners filed out of St Matthew’s Church, Bethnal Green, he turned to the gathered crowds to show them a letter written to him by the fallen Kray. It features ‘London’ Chris Lambrianou, who was involved in the infamous attempt by the Krays to muscle in on Birmingham in the 1960s.

He added: “Joe appears because he, like many boxers, straddle that world between the accepted and the murky. The pugilist, 45, was friends with some of the sport’s biggest stars including Mike Tyson and Mohammed Ali and now works tirelessly for charity. Bernard O’Mahoney has highlighted key figures from the days of the infamous Kray Twins in the swinging 60s, to the mean streets of modern-day Glasgow. Now they have been recorded for history in two new books by a Birmingham author, himself a former feared criminal.These villains, or Faces, as they prefer to be called, have been making headlines for more than 50 years.