Charles Bronson: 'Best hostage' to 'naked rumble' - 15 things Britain's most notorious prisoner revealed at parole hearing

Britain's most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson did not hold back as he launched a bid for freedom at a parole hearing.

The 70-year-old - now known as Charles Salvador - faced a panel across a small desk flanked by his solicitor in proceedings held in prison and shown on a live stream from the Royal Courts Of Justice in central London.

Here are some of the things Bronson said at the hearing in an attempt to secure his release.

'More porridge than Goldilocks'

Bronson was given 15 minutes to make an opening statement, to which he replied: "I could fill 15 hours."

The panel chair replied: "That, privately, is my concern."

Bronson said: "First of all, it's no secret I have had more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and I'm sick of it. I've had enough of it. I want to go home."

'I can't reply to all of them'

There are 500 people on his mailing list who write to Bronson in jail, but he does not always reply, the panel was told.

"Bloody hell, I can't reply to all of them," he interjected.

'I have been naughty'

Bronson told the parole judges he was a "retired prison activist" but he deserved much of his time behind bars.

He said: "Out of the 50 years I've been in prison, I have probably deserved a good 35 years of it … but I have been naughty. Not 'naughty, naughty', but naughty."

Read more:
Parole hearing begins for Britain's most notorious prisoner
Here is why Bronson has been in jail for so long

'We all love a bet, guv'

When the hearing was told that Bronson had tried to get someone outside prison to place a bet for him, he told the panel: "We all love a bet, guv, come on."

He said he has been "betting for 50 years" while behind bars and won £1,500 last year - but was "not an addict".

Asked whether he was allowed to bet while behind bars, he replied: "Well, are you or ain't you?

"No one has ever said anything to me in 50 years."

'I enjoyed the roof protests'

Describing how in the past he had ended up on prison roofs in protest, he said: "I enjoyed every f****** one of them."

Bronson would 'definitely not' commit his crimes again

He told the panel of his previous crimes: "Am I sorry? Maybe. Would I do it again? Definitely not."

'Today, I'm a born-again artist'

He recalled how one officer, Mick O'Hagan, inspired him to take up art, telling him: "You carry on the way you're going, Charlie, you will never get out."

Bronson said: "Today, I'm an artist, a born-again artist, and that's down to him.

"He didn't have to do what he did, he done it because he believed in me."

Bronson 'enjoyed the excitement' of crime

Bronson said he had a "beautiful childhood" but he enjoyed the "excitement" he got from crime.

He said: "I just went wrong, I don't know how, I don't know why. I just enjoyed the excitement."

Discussing how he got into stealing, burglary and guns, he said he was "very proud" that he "never went down the road of drugs".

"I never shot anybody, never wanted to," he added.

The Krays told Bronson to get into boxing

Bronson said the notorious east London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray - who he says he served time behind bars with - recommended he get into unlicensed boxing.

"I love boxing, my father was a great champion boxer, it is a fraternity, it is a family… we used to box in prison but they are run by namby-pamby people now," he said.

'You've been my best hostage'

Referring to the prison art teacher who he took hostage for three days in 2014, he said he told him: "You've been my best hostage, you're the only one who hasn't s*** himself."

'I couldn't help taking hostages'

Bronson, who has taken hostages on nine different occasions while in prison, said: "I was a horrible person and I couldn't stop taking hostages.

"I went through a phase, I couldn't help taking hostages.

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

"I was battling against the system… it was my way of getting back.

"There's nothing better than wrapping a governor up like a Christmas turkey."

"I wasn't a nice person'

In 2014 he decided to change his surname to Salvador, which he said means man of peace.

"Bronson was a nasty b******," he said. "I wasn't a nice person and I didn't like him. Salvador is a man of peace. I feel peaceful."

'I had the rumble of my life'

When questioned about several incidents behind bars a few years ago and why they happened, Bronson said: "I love a rumble. What man doesn't?"

Describing one incident, in which the parole review was told he stripped naked and "greased up", he said: "I took half a tub of Lurpak with me, stripped off and had the rumble of my life. It was f****** brilliant."

'I've outstayed my welcome'

Addressing his time at HMP Woodhill, he said: "I've had four years here now, I think I've outstayed my welcome."

'If I do anything serious ever again, I will die in prison'

Bronson, reflecting on the future, said: "I am terrified of the consequences of my actions because I know if I do anything serious ever again, I will die in prison."

He added: "How much longer have I got to go? I'm ready now, I'm a chilled-out man, I feel comfortable in myself.

"I handle situations 100 times better than I used to. I'm no longer angry."