COLD-blooded killer Albert Dryden has broken his ten-year silence over the shooting of a senior council official.

But last night, the family of his victim, Harry Collinson, reacted angrily to his claims that he should be freed - and to messages on the Internet supporting his case.

Dryden, now 61, is serving a life sentence for the shooting of Harry Collinson, chief planning officer at Derwentside District Council.

Mr Collinson was shot at point blank range and two more people taken to hospital with gunshot wounds when a planning dispute ended in tragedy.

Pictures of the shooting at Butsfield, near Consett, County Durham, were seen by millions across the world after they were captured on film by a TV crew.

Northern Echo photographer Michael Peckett captured the moment when Dryden shot Mr Collinson and fired two more rounds at him after he slumped to the ground.

PC Stephen Campbell, 22, was shot in the thigh and a BBC television reporter hit in the arm by another bullet.

Journalists who were at the field in Eliza Lane, Butsfield, to witness the demolition of Dryden's self-built bungalow, had to run for their lives.

Dryden was sentenced to life in April 1992 and has maintained his silence ever since.

Now, in a series of letters seen by The Northern Echo, the killer has revealed his despair at being kept in Nottingham Prison, 200 miles away from "home."

The letters, sent to a web site, give a fascinating insight into the mind of the former steelworker turned killer, whom friends say is now a sick man.

In the most recent letter, sent last month, Dryden says he is convinced his psychologist will give him a bad parole report for the Home Office.

He writes: "They all hate me because of what I did. No wonder ... they keep me in a remand prison and 200 miles from home."

One letter says: "The probation people say that I talk about guns and have a violent temper and will still be a danger to the public 100 years from now."

In March 2000, he writes about a "shock" when he was told he would moved from HM Prison Garth in Leyland, Lancashire to Nottingham.

In an edited letter he states: "It is further away from home - 178 miles. So I will get no visitors -18 of my friends wrote to the Home Office to try to get me nearer home. So they are moving me 40 miles further away.

"I think the Home Office is trying to get me to top myself. I am in my cell 22 hours a day. My head is going."

In another sent in April 2000 he claims he never envisaged "killing anyone", even when he fired his gun.

He writes: "I don't know how to explain it but when I made preparations to defend myself I was whistling in the dark.

"When I saw the television crews, the newspaper reporters, the police, the mob and the bulldozer and thought of my animals I sadly killed a man. Women acting under far less provocation have killed their partners and have not been imprisoned.

Supporters of Dryden claim that one prisoner had tried to strangle him with a towel while he was incarcerated in Durham's top security Frankland Prison, only being rescued by a warder.

Harry Collinson's brother Roy last night dismissed Dryden's claims that the shooting was an accident. He said Dryden had told a villager that he intended to shoot the planning officer and he rejected claims his brother had in any way provoked the incident.

He said: "Those that knew Harry will tell you he was one of the most inoffensive men, that was one of his faults.

"I think it is absolutely scandalous that this is going on the Internet."

David Hines, chairman of the North of England Victims' Association, said: "The jury has tried him and found him guilty of murder and that is the bottom line.

"He has had ten years to come out with something but to start saying this is a bit of a nonsense."