A LOCAL author will be exploring the life of a renowned boxer and hard man in his new book.

Jamie Boyle, from Middlesbrough, is set to publish his seventh novel, Roy Shaw Mean Machine.

Due to be released in May on Kindle and paperback in June, the book will describe untold tales of the life of the late Roy Shaw, who was a former unlicensed boxer, a member London's underworld and at one point a category A prisoner.

Mr Boyle has teamed up with Shaw's son, Gary Shaw, to bring the book together after spending time interviewing and talking with Roy Shaw's family.

Mr Boyle said: "There's some funny stories in there and also some tragic ones. He had a rough life. The book has got quite a lot of things that haven't been talked about before.

"When he died in 2012, the family wanted to keep it low-key. They told me a lot of stories about his life."

The book will be published by WarCry Press, which has teamed with Mr Boyle in a number of his previous novels such as his biography on Middlesbrough's Lee Duffy and heavyweight boxer Paul Sykes.

Roy Shaw Mean Machine has also sparked interest from producer Hereford Films who are looking to put together a feature film to be released later this year.

Mr Boyle said: "When I got offered this opportunity for the book to be made a film I couldn't refuse. This has got the potential to be absolutely huge.

"Whether you loved or loathed him, there really was nobody quite like Roy Shaw."

Born March 1936 in Stepney, East London, Roy Shaw had earned schoolboy boxing champion by the age of 16.

Once holding the title of "hardest man in Britain", Shaw published two autobiographies, Pretty Boy and Roy Shaw: Unleashed, where he described the events of his life.

Shaw spent a large majority of his life in and out of prisons, including Pankhurst, for robberies and a number of violent attacks and incidences.

On his eventual release from prison, Shaw tried his hand at bare-knuckle fighting under the name of 'the Mean Machine', where he established his fearsome reputation, before going into the property business.

Roy Shaw Mean Machine will be available to download on Kindle from May 12 and in paperback on June 1.

More information can be found at warcrypress.co.uk