Last man standing

Eric Mason is a legendary figure of the criminal underworld.

He was an associate of some of the most infamous British gangsters of all time, including the Kray twins, Jack 'the Hat' McVitie and the Great Train Robbers.

When Fidel Castro shut down the casinos in Cuba after the revolution, the Mafia looked to London to set up their new gambling base.

After an introduction from Frank Sinatra, Mason and the Krays made it possible.

In a life marked by violence, he has spent more time inside prison than out.

He was flogged four times and was the last man to receive the cat o'nine tails in Britain.

When he finally went straight, he kept out of trouble for nearly 30 years until he was put back inside in 2001 on what he claims was a trumped-up charge of conspiring to smuggle cannabis into the UK.

Following his release on parole after serving half his sentence, he started a campaign to clear his name.

Now in his 70s, Mason is the last member of his generation of gangsters still around to tell his story. "Last Man Standing" is a riveting account which proves that in some cases truth is most definitely stranger than fiction.