A TRAFFORD resident has unearthed a note he received from Reggie Kray, one of Britain's most notorious gangsters.

Almost two decades ago, Harry Wild exchanged letters with Reggie, who, with his twin brother, Ronnie, controlled a large part of London's criminal underworld.

The identical twins were sentenced to life imprisonment in 1969 for murder, bringing to an end their Mafia-like grip over London's East End.

Harry's correspondence took place in 1998. Harry wrote to the gangster in prison, saying that after serving nearly 30 years for his crimes he believed it was time he was released.

Messenger reported in 2010 how Harry had been astounded to get a reply from Reggie.

But he had lost the note and thought he wold never see it again.

But recently he found it while clearing out his garage at Conway Road, Davyhulme.

Much of Reggie's short note is illegible but part of it reads: "I feel I am entitled to a gold watch after 30 years."

Harry said: "I couldn't believe it when I found the note, I never expected to see it again.. That is in Reggie Kray's own handwriting.

"We have looked at it with a magnifying glass to try to make out what is says, but it's largely illegible.

"It is like a spider going across a page."

Shortly after Harry wrote to Reggie, he was sent an invitation to a fundraising evening for the Krays, co-hosted by another notorious London gangster, 'Mad Frankie' Fraser.

Harry was tempted to go - but his wife, Joan, who died in 2014, put her foot down and stopped him.

He said: "When I got that invite I was tempted to go. But my wife Joan said: 'You know what kind of people these are - you don't deal with people like that'."

The Krays ran their notorious gang in the East End in the 1950s and 1960s. They were both convicted of murder. Ronnie died in prison in 1995 at the age of 62, while Reggie died of cancer at 66 in 2000 shortly after being released on compassionate grounds.