GEORGE Reynolds, the former football club boss jailed for tax evasion, was a free man last night after serving 14 months of his three-year sentence.

The former safe cracker walked out of Wealstun open prison, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, just before 8am yesterday.

Clutching a bag of personal possessions and lacking his usual comb over hairstyle, Mr Reynolds lost no time in vowing to rebuild the fortune he lost funding a 25,000-seater stadium for Darlington Football Club.

The 71-year-old, who must observe a curfew and wear an electronic tag, said business associates had already laid the foundations for a comeback.

While he was in prison his associates were securing a new depot in Durham City.

He also has an office for an import business, which has seen perfume-dispensing machines installed in more than 300 North-East outlets.

"I know I have my critics, but the way to hit back is to be successful," said Mr Reynolds.

"I know that many people said a prison term at my age would finish me off. Far from it, it gave me time to plan my business future carefully."

He continues to believe he could have made a success of Darlington FC.

He also remains bitter that his efforts to hold car boot sales and concerts were blocked by Darlington Borough Council, even though he agreed to planning conditions when the stadium was built and did not try to waive them until the business was in trouble.

He said he still found it "hard to stomach" that planning conditions blocking his ideas to diversify beyond football had made it impossible to prevent the Quakers going into administration.

The club was bought out of administration by a financier who had provided loans to finish the stadium.

It has since changed hands and is now owned by George Houghton.

The borough council has since relaxed planning conditions allowing more events to take place at the stadium. The first pop concert - headlined by Girls Aloud - is due to take place next year.

Mr Reynolds could not hide his frustration when he asked: "If the grounds for refusing me planning permission then were legitimate, then what has changed today? The only thing that has changed is the name above the door."

Mr Reynolds, who has figured in the Sunday Times Rich List of Britain's wealthiest people, suffered a spectacular fall from grace.

The tax fraud came to light when he was stopped by Durham Police in High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, and £500,000 was found in the boot of the car.

He was with his cousin, Richard Tennick, and his personal assistant, Ian Robinson.

No evidence was offered by the prosecution against Mr Robinson, of Shildon, County Durham, who denied all charges.

But Mr Reynolds and Mr Tennick jointly admitted depriving the taxman of £645,000 by claiming they did not earn an income over a six-year period.

Mr Tennick, 59, of Manfield, North Yorkshire, was given a two-year prison term. He was released on licence earlier this year.

Mr Reynolds' first visit after leaving prison was to a meeting in Durham with his probation officer.

But he could not resist one last swipe at the justice system that put him behind bars.

He said: "I am now more convinced than ever that this case must be re-opened. What happened to us was simply unjust and I will fight to prove that."