HE stands about 5ft 6in tall, holds himself slightly stooped and can weigh no more than ten stones. In fact, he would not look out of place in a Post Office, queuing for his pension.

As he extends a time-worn hand in greeting, the Cockney voice crows: "Hello, I'm Frankie".

The broken nose and cheeky twinkle in his eye were the only tell-tale signs he was no ordinary 76-year-old.

"Mad" Frankie Fraser was in the tastefully-decorated lounge of the Whitworth Hall Hotel on the outskirts of Spennymoor, County Durham, enjoying the freedom of the region for the first time.

Post-war, he was among the most infamous criminals this country has ever seen and spent more than half his life behind bars - ten years of which were in what he calls "the warehouse" at HMP Durham - for a string of violent offences.

The guest of Spennymoor Boxing Club, Frankie is here to give an after-dinner speech about his tortuous past and the lessons youngsters can learn from his broken life.

"I must be the worst advert for crime there has ever been," he says. "I tell the kids 'For God's sake don't copy me. Get a job and go straight'. It's far better than doing anything like me."

At the height of his notoriety, "Mad" Frankie was described by two Home Secretaries as "the most dangerous man in Britain".

A known associate of the Kray twins, Frankie appeared before judges on countless occasions for a catalogue of violence and crime. His infamous acts were said to include cutting a prison guard's ear off and using pliers to remove a man's teeth - although he denies this ever happened.

Spennymoor Boxing Club brought him north as a deterrent for its youngsters. Frankie said: "The likes of me, Reggie and Ronnie, we were the failures. Spennymoor Boxing Club are doing a smashing job giving the kids a goal in life, good temperaments, teaching them to look after themselves and more importantly, giving them that integrity."

The club's chief coach, Robbie Ellis, stressed that Frankie was not invited to glamorise his past life. He was there to educate.

"He puts it over to the kids not to follow in his footsteps. He is here to make sure none of our boxers do anything similar to what Frankie has done. It comes better from someone who has experienced it and turned their back on it," he said