THE crimes of a ruthless woman who poisoned a string of love rivals and an Indian sailor who strangled a 78-year-old prostitute are among those detailed in a gruesome new book.

Hanged at Durham chronicles the dark deeds of 75 convicted killers executed at the city jail between 1869 and 1958, when it was the final destination for all sentenced to death from across the region.

Author Steve Fielding devotes a chapter to each of the condemned.

Mr Fielding, a punk rocker turned English teacher, said: "For most of us, this will be the closest we ever come to murder - and as close as we want to be. But we enjoy reading about it. It gives us a bit of danger, a bit of excitement."

Among his book's subjects is Mary Ann Cotton, thought to have poisoned up to 21 love rivals. Cotton's death count was only beaten by Dr Harold Shipman, who, more than a century later, would also spend time in Durham prison.

Mr Fielding said: "She would get into a relationship, but tire of it and move on. If someone was an obstacle to that, she poisoned them."

Cotton was hanged on March 24, 1873, struggling on the rope for three minutes before breathing her last.

The book also features extracts from the Illustrated Police News, detailing the 1935 execution of John Bainbridge for the murder of Edward Herdman.

Fifteen years later, he was followed to the gallows by Patrick Turnage, a sailor who, on July 29, 1950, strangled Julia Beesley, a 78-year-old prostitute from Billingham, Teesside.

And eight years after Turnage's demise, Brian Chandler became the last man hanged at Durham, after being convicted of battering to death 83-year-old Martha Dodd, from Darlington.

Mr Fielding has unearthed much material which had previously been declared confidential, and the bass guitarist, whose punk band was named The Stiffs, has some admiration for the hangmen responsible for the executions.

One, Tom Pierrepoint, carried out 26 executions at the prison.

Mr Fielding added: "I got into the subject through being interested in capital punishment. I read a bit more and found that a lot of the hangmen were from my hometown of Bolton.

"The best hangmen had it down to fine art. It would all be over in a few seconds."

Hanged at Durham is Mr Fielding's 11th book, the first in a series on hangings at prisons across the country. Published by Sutton Publishing, it is available online and from bookshops, priced £12.99