Tory locked up in UK's 'worst' prison received baffling welcome note from Krays
Former Tory cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken said he received a strange welcome from gangster Reggie Kray when he began his stint in one of the UK's worst prisons.
Mr Aitken, 80, was banged up inside HMP Belmarsh in 1999. Upon his arrival, he was told by one of the inmates that it was Ronnie Kray had called from the notorious Broadmoor psychiatric hospital to wish him luck inside Belmarsh.
Mr Aitken, who was once Chief Secretary to the Treasury under former prime minister John Major, said he had to be told by fellow prisoners that Ronnie was dead and it was in fact his brother Reggie who had sent the message.
He told The Sun: "Belmarsh was notorious as a tough nick and was considered Britain's toughest prison.
"When I first arrived one of the inmates told me that Ronnie Kray had called from Broadmoor to wish me good luck in the prison.
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"It was only when other prisoners angrily pointed out that Ronnie was dead that he checked and it turned out the message was from Reggie, who was still alive and in prison."
Angry prisoners had to point out that Ronnie (left) was dead (Getty Images)The former privy councillor, sentenced to 18 months in jail for committing perjury, made some unlikely friends inside Belmarsh including Noel "Razor" Smith.
Smith was a notorious criminal with over 200 armed robberies to his name before he eventually turned his life around.
Mr Aitken said he found his fellow inmate "scary at first" but they soon "developed respect" for each other.
Belmarsh 'was considered Britain's toughest prison,' Aitken said (PA Archive/PA Images)Mr Smith is now a journalist and writer and Aitken said the two bonded when the disgraced politician "noticed his gift for the English language when he showed me something he'd written."
Mr Aitken added: that Mr Smith is a "diamond geezer."
The former member said guards made sure other inmates knew his life on the outside would not earn him special treatment in Belmarsh.
Aitken was eventually moved from Belmarsh (PA Archive/PA Images)He was also able to earn some popularity when he helped an illiterate inmate successfully appeal his family's eviction.
Mr Aitken recalled the man joyfully showed off the letter to others in Belmarsh and lauded the "fantastic joined-up writing" of "this MP Geezer."
As Mr Aitken's writing reputation grew among his other inmates, some even asked him to write about "intimate subjects" to their wives and girlfriend which led to one person telling him they were having "a fantastic impact on the girls of Brixton."
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Aitken went from John Major's government to being sentenced to prison in the space of a few years (Getty Images Europe)
The Krays ruled London (Mirrorpix)Before his stint inside came to an end, the former Thanet East MP was moved to HMP Standford Hill in Kent, where he 'Spider' Mickey Aguda.
Aguda was a bank robber given the nickname because he could scale scaffolding and ended up in the cell next to Mr Aitken.
His autism inspired Mr Aitken to set up a neurodiversity unit at Belmarsh.
The Krays were found guilty of murder in 1969 after a trial at the Old Bailey (Getty Images)Mr Aitken's connection did earn him visits from the likes of the late Formula 1 team owner Sir Frank Williams.
The visit of his mother turned out to be less successful when she drank some of the prisoner's nettle hooch at the age of 88 before unwisely taking out her camera to take a picture of them.
Since leaving jail, Mr Aitken went on to become a chaplain at HMP Pentonville. He now says his time inside makes it easier for him to connect with prisoners.
Prison dog handler guards patrol the perimeter of HM Prison Belmarsh (Susannah Ireland/REX/Shutterstock)Mr Aitken added that his stint in Belmarsh left him being punched twice during the "rough and rumble" of life inside.
In his new job, Mr Aitken said one prisoner has become a "son" to him. Dan Brown had spent "nine out of the past eleven Christmases in prison" before the two met, but the rehabilitated boiler repair man is now expecting to get married.
Aitken is set to preside over his wedding.
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