??/??/?? - The strong arm of the lawless calls in its debts

Harry lives a comfortable Essex life, except when he is collecting money or meting out revenge beatings at £1,000 a time. Threats usually work, though.

THE CAR drew up in a leafy road in Chelmsford just before 11pm. A burly, tattooed man got out. He walked casually up to a parked Ford Fiesta XR2, hurled a plastic bag containing a petrol-filled bottle under the car, struck a match and threw it at the bag.

Moments later the car was in flames, the owner jumping up and down in impotent rage. It was another successful mission for Harry Taylor, friend of East End gangster Reggie Kray and specialist in private debt collection and revenge. Harry has been in the business since he came out of jail in 1986, after serving 18 months for wounding with a bottle.

Most of his debt work, he says, does not require violence, although when he has to extract money from 'real' villains 'it always involves violence, and usually guns'. In most cases threats are enough. Harry starts politely, asking for money at the door.

'I am always reasonable at first,' he says, back at his comfortable suburban home in Essex. The key is to get debtors to say that they would pay if they could. Harry then advises them on what they might sell to raise the cash furniture, or their car, for example.

'Their attitude always dictates the way it will go,' he says. 'If they take the piss they have to take the consequences.' Occasionally Harry which is not his real name feels he has to hit people, such as the 'manager-type' who sneered at him when he called.

Some debtors call the police; Harry tells the officer he was merely asking for a debt to be paid and apologises for losing his temper and calling the complainant names. The next day, a follow-up call: Harry tells the debtor he was 'unwise' to call the police and reminds him that he knows where he lives.

A lot can happen to debtors if they do not find the money. They usually find it. Most of his clients are involved in business deals that have gone wrong: investors who put up money for a non-existent project; builders who are not paid for their work. Harry has no sympathy.

'Ninety-five per cent are middleclass people with big houses and big cars,' he says. 'They've got the money but they don't want to pay. They're greedy. They think it's clever to avoid paying a bill. They have no respect.'

Their usual approach, he says, is to make their company bankrupt or change its name, or transfer their money to the wife. This beats lawyers, courts, bailiffs and police but not Harry. He laughs at solicitors' letters and is rarely bothered by the police. About once in six weeks Harry gets asked to do a 'bashing'.

This involves beating up an unfaithful husband, a business cheat or anybody who has inspired deep hatred in someone close. With the risk of jail, he will not even consider a bashing for less than £1,000.

Harry talks matter-of-factly about violence. 'The more violent the act, the easier it is to get away with it, he says. 'If you get into a brawl with someone you could easily get caught.'