HE was Britain's most wanted, an on-the-run fugitive with a fearsome reputation for violence. But, today Tyneside hardman Paddy Conroy lifts the lid on his life of crime. In a chilling interview, the notorious villain, from Newcastle's West End, reveals:

:: how he lives in constant fear after learning a £100,000 contract has been placed on his head
:: his escape from a hitman who tried to kill him after he was lured to a secluded farmhouse, and
:: how he still maintains his innocence over the torture of a rival, which saw him jailed for 11-and-half years.

Conroy, now 46, built a fearsome reputation for himself in Tyneside's underworld. He headed up his crime clan, which went to war with rival families. But gangland tensions exploded, leading to him being jailed for years for the kidnap and torture of Billy Collier, part of an opposition family. Conroy served time alongside Britain's most dangerous criminals until he was released on licence and returned to his home, in West Denton.