Feared former gangster Dave Courtney coming to town

Sep 25 2008 by Andrew Hirst, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

TWO well-known hardmen are coming to Huddersfield – but they will be in a literary mood.

Former London gangster Dave Courtney and Irish boxer Joe Egan – described by ex-World Champion boxer Mike Tyson as “the toughest white man on the planet” – are both coming to sign copies of their books at Waterstone’s book shop in Kingsgate.

Courtney is an ex-London gangster known for his friendship with notorious underworld characters such as the Krays and he organised the security at Ronnie Kray’s funeral in 1995.

In his time, 49-year-old Courtney has been shot, stabbed, had his nose bitten off – they sewed it back on – and says he has had to kill to stay alive himself. He has been involved in debt collecting, minding clubs, assault and contraband – to name but a few things.

He is sometimes referred to in the press as "the most feared man in Britain" and has been in gangster and comedy films.

Courtney has claimed to be the inspiration for Vinnie Jones' debt-collecting hard man in the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.