Britain's hardest prisoner who spent 26 years in jail tells wild story of his life in back garden

Boxer, writer, debt collector and prisoner - Paul Sykes did it all. With 26 years of prison under his belt, the British weightlifter, while sitting in his back garden, tells the wild story of his life:

Although he passed away 15 years ago, he's always remained in the spotlight for being one of Britain's toughest prisoners.

Sykes was jailed for five years in 1981 for taking out a contract on a union official from Blackpool.

By 1990, he had spent 21 out of 26 years in 18 prisons for performing violent acts against prison officers and police officers.

His interviews have continued to go viral, such as his mind-boggling rant in his back garden, explaining how he once swam and beat up a shark.

Beginning his rant, Sykes said: "I'm a wonderful citizen, how do you think I've got this house and where I'm living now if I wasn't. They've given me this council.

"We've got the [best], this is the best little city on on earth.

"How do I know? I've been everywhere else, I'm here now right on the family patch.

"Yeah I know where it is, I've been, nobody can tell me anything, I don't read Daily Mail or The Sun, I go and have a look.

"I go and have a look and I've been, I've lived in the forests of north America. I've lived in the outback of the Ivory Coast, I've lived in India and Russia.

"I had me breakfast in Moscow and had my tea in Woodstreet nick."

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Exemplifying his uniqueness, he adds: "Yeah I've been a part of it, I'm the only man in the history of mankind that has swum across the streets of Johor.

"I had to avoid a police launch it would either that or they've got me passport in Singapore, yeah I swam it.

"Yeah nobody's ever done it before, not because of the currents or anything like that, nothing like that, it's sharks, not shark infested, but none of the locals go paddling.

"I know about sharks, I know about sharks, yeah, I'm six foot three and 16 stone, 200 weight, yeah, I'm swimming."

Pointing to his shoes, he tells the interviewer: "These pumps, see these pumps these were hanging around my neck when I done it, yeah.

"I thought, well, 'Jaws I know how to condition them, I know how to condition people.'

"Jaws, boom boom boom boom, yeah, they're just flying about, you've got a hard job works, your sharks they'll have a look at me and think, 'yeah I know how to do them', you punch them right in the f**kin' earhole and they swim off."

So, there you have it.