Artwork supposedly drawn by notorious prisoner Charles Bronson has been withdrawn from an auction in Slaithwaite this weekend, as it is almost certainly fake.

The macabre drawings were said to detail a “madman’s vision” of life in prison and were expected to fetch thousands at the auction.

They had been billed as being sent by Bronson to gangster Reggie Kray in 1998. Not wanting to be associated with the violent inmate, Kray was said to have rejected them.

The three drawings, along with many others, had been circulating on the market, and auctioneer and previous Posh Pawnbrokers star Colin Hufton, who owns Colne Valley Auctions, bought them for an undisclosed sum from a private seller two weeks ago, and planned to sell them on Sunday.

One of the scenes shows Bronson as a fat-bellied punk with a tattoo saying “asylum” on his arm, while one character is drawn being sick into a bowl. The drawings were expected to sell for around £800 to £1,200 each.

But Mr Hufton has now been contacted by Bronson’s fiancee Lorraine Etherington, who told him they are fake.

“I had Lorraine on the phone, and she said they are fake, and we have to take her word for it.

“I have no intention of selling them until we can prove they are either genuine or not.

“This sort of thing can happen, and has happened to me several times before. It’s just one of the pitfalls of having an auction house.”

Bronson is the UK’s most notorious prisoner and currently serving life at HMP Wakefield. His violent behaviour towards guards and fellow prisoners whilst incarcerated has led to his tariff being significantly extended.

A known artist, in 2014 he changed his name to Charles Salvador as a nod to Surrealist painter Salvador Dali, and has won 11 awards from inmates’ art trust the Koestler Trust.

Watch the trailer for Bronson starring Tom Hardy below

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But there have been a number of fake artworks hitting the market, and the Charles Salvador Art Foundation has put a warning on its website.

It reads: “The last few years have seen a proliferation of fake Charlie art hitting the market.

“A lot of this art is usually accompanied by prison paperwork and official prison stamps - as if to prove the art’s authenticity.

“The fact is, no prison has ever completed paperwork to accompany Charlie’s art, or stamped anything on the reverse of it. Charlie usually sends his artwork out directly or - on very odd occasions, has handed it over to someone on a visit.

“There are a lot of fake Charlie pieces which are often sold with Kray Twin items. Usually the story is that Charlie drew the art for Reg Kray - and he either didn’t want it, or it has been passed down since his death. This is all nonsense. We can confirm that Charlie has NEVER drawn any art for either Kray brother - although he has spent time in prison with both Ron and Reg and was close friends with both men.”