THE STORY of one of Teesside’s most feared hardmen, ex-boxer Lee Duffy, is set to be published by a local author.

Lee Duffy was a well-known boxer and bouncer from South Bank in Middlesbrough who was feared by many people on Teesside throughout the 1980s before his death in 1991.

His fights and violence took place in pubs and clubs in the region as well as on the football terraces. Despite being a thorn in the side of Cleveland Police, he was recounted as being surprisingly helpful and polite to officers who arrested or questioned him.

But whilst working as a bouncer he began to move into the world of drugs.

Now Northallerton author Jamie Boyle has penned his latest book on North-East hardman; Lee Duffy – The Whole of the Moon, named after the ex-boxer’s favourite song.

Jamie, who has published two books on another notorious, violent criminal,Paul Sykes, said during his latest research, he discovered what a divisive character Lee Duffy had been.

“Every doorman in Middlesbrough was terrified of him,” said Jamie.

“He was 17-and-a-half stone and 6ft and taxed every drug dealer. I’m not glorifying him, but the fact of the matter is he happened. It’s a huge part of Middlesbrough’s history.

“I spoke to some family members, some enemies, some famous, some infamous, some people who knew him in person.

“One said he was a “picture of evil” but a lot of people – 24 out of the 30 I spoke to – have been positive.

"Since he died 27 years have passed and people still talk about him today. Some hate him and say he was an absolute monster, others have cried in front of me and said they still miss him so much, that he had a good heart and was so caring.

“He’s the most notorious character ever to come out of Middlesbrough - possibly the North-East. The name Lee Duffy in Middlesbrough notorious; he was their Ronnie Kray.

“He had suffered badly from bullying himself and he became a bully. He certainly brings out mixed reactions from people. He really, really wrote his name in Teesside folklore and for good or bad reasons he’ll never be forgotten.”

Prior to Lee Duffy’s death at the age of 26 he had survived three alleged attempts on his life; having been shot twice and once having had petrol poured over him.

Jamie, 38, himself an ex-boxer from Berwick Hills, said Lee Duffy’s violent life eventually caught up with him, and he died following a street fight in 1991 on Marton Road in Middlesbrough.

“He belonged in a time where there was no social media; people rarely had a phone. He died at 26; he was just a kid, just a baby. It’s very sad he never got a chance to turn his life around or see his family grow. He had a lot of attacks in his life; he had petrol poured over him, he was hot in the foot, shot in the knee.

“When he died he was stabbed in his armpit and bled to death on the streets of Middlesbrough with hundreds of people watching."

Jamie added: “I grew up in Middlesbrough and heard of Lee Duffy when I was eight and he died when I was 11.

“People like Lee Duffy will never be seen again; he used to walk around with a gun – there were no cameras around taking your photograph; 27 years ago it was a very, very different time.”

  • Lee Duffy – the Whole of the Moon, is available on Amazon and Waterstones on August 7.
  • A percentage of profits from the book will go to the charity Scope.