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Charles Bronson – the man dubbed Britain’s most dangerous prisoner – has revealed how he once chopped off his iconic moustache and sent it in the post to Hollywood actor Tom Hardy.

The Aberystwyth born 61-year-old habitual jail bird, who has spent the majority of the last 39-years in solitary confinement at some of the UK’s highest security prisons, has published his diaries, written in a specially-built cage in Wakefield jail.

Within the entries, penned throughout 2008, are details about the con’s friendship with Dark Knight Rises star Hardy, who played Bronson in the biographical crime thriller of the same name.

One entry in January 2008 describes a welcome prison visit from 36-year-old Hardy.

“He has put on one and a half stone of muscles for the movie,” Bronson said.

“He looks awesome and I’m so f****** proud of him.

“You wouldn’t want to meet him down a dark alley at 3am.

“Tom looks more like me than I look like me.”

He added: “He got me four banana milkshakes and four muffins – a great visit.”

In a bizarre attempt to play at least some part in the movie about his life Bronson later describes the moment he lost his most iconic look a month after Hardy's visit.

He said: “A big event today: I chopped off the most infamous tash in the UK, if not Europe – maybe the world.

“Yeah, my moustache has gone and it’s going to end up going through Tom Hardy’s letter box.

“Maybe the make-up artists on set can stick it on his top lip.

“If not, Tom can stick it in his pocket for luck.

“Then at least part of me will be on the film set!”

Bronson was originally imprisoned for seven years in 1974 after an armed raid in Cheshire – in which he netted just £26.18 – but was arrested and incarcerated twice further in ’88 and ’92 for robbery and intent to rob respectively.

But it was his behaviour whilst inside – which saw him assault both guards and fellow prisoners, as well as take numerous hostages – which saw his sentence greatly extended.

In August supporters of Bronson presented a 10,000 signature petition to 10 Downing Street calling for the armed robber’s release.

The move is set to preempt Bronson’s third legal appeal which launches around February next year.

“We felt it would be a timely reminder to the Government that Charlie is still in prison, still in solitary for 23 hours a day and now 10 years over his recommended tariff,” said Lorraine Etherington, the support group’s secretary.

The new book entitled Diaries From Hell, published by y Lolfa also reveals some of Bronson’s notorious run-ins with prison guards and fellow inmates like Reggie and Ronnie Kray and great-train-robber Ronnie Biggs.

He references incidents in Wakefield’s infamous “Monster Mansion” wing, where he has lived in recent years and where Mark Bridger was recently attacked.

In one entry he speaks about child killer Ian Huntley being moved to a tougher jail.

“It’s the wake up call he needs,” Bronson said, adding that Huntley has had it “too cushy here”.

He added: “TV, curtains, carpet, CD player, radio, lots of goodies from the canteen.

“It’s f****** disgusting.

Another entry sees Bronson describing an incident at Ashworth asylum during the 1980s when a friend hit an inmate called Michael Fagan “over the head with a snooker cue”.

Fagan was in prison for the biggest royal security breach of the 20th century when he scaled the 14ft wall of Buckingham Palace and wandered into the Queen’s bedroom while she was sleeping.

“Mental or what?” Bronson said.

Recounting an incident at Full Sutton prison in 1988 which Bronson says he “still laughs about today,” the notorious law-breaker describes how he was mopping a landing when a governor walked over his hard work.

“Where’s he off to? Who is he? I’ve never seen him before and he’s walking on the floor I’ve just mopped,” Bronson said.

“That’s my floor.

“He had that sort of look – a smirk, a grin – as if to say ‘clean it again sonny boy.’

“Yeah sure. Twenty feet, ten feet, five feet, splash!

“The mop bucket water went right over his head.

“Screws came running and alarm bells went off.

“I stood there in my boxer’s pose thinking, Ok, let’s get it on. YARHHhhooooooo!”

He added: “Beautiful memories, and it only cost me 14-days punishment.

“I cheered up a boring prison day and that’s how the prison world is: unpredictable, insane, dangerous, exciting, electrifying.

“It’s guys like me who make it what it is. I take it to a new level, to the edge!”