A Keighley man who guarded some of the most notorious names in British criminal history has received a prestigious award.

Robert Thorpe, a former prison officer who has watched over criminals including the Kray Twins, 'Mad' Frankie Fraser and the Great Train Robbers, was given the Imperial Service Medal for his services to the Crown in a special ceremony.

The 55-year-old, who now lives in Skipton, travelled with his wife Marilyn to Preston Prison where Ian Lockwood, area manager of North West Prisons, presented him with the award in front of a full staff parade in the prison's chapel.

Mr Thorpe (pictured) who retired from the service 12 months ago after 33 years as a prison officer, said: "I'm quite proud really. You don't know you are going to be nominated and I'm very glad."

Mr Thorpe, who lived with his wife in Broomhill Avenue, Ingrow, joined the Prison Service in 1968, and after four months training received his first posting at Wandsworth, a category A, high security prison serving courts such as the Old Bailey. It was here that he met Ronnie and Reg Kray for the first time.

He said: "Wandsworth had a reputation as a hard prison. It was really Victorian and the lighting was terrible. There were still gas lamps on the landings and the prisoners would light their cigarettes from the broken ones.

"In my first week I was detailed to Old Bailey duties. The Kray gang were on trial, there were about 10 or 12 of them including the three Kray brothers and the Lambrianous.

"Some of them were at Brixton Prison so we had to pick them up when we went to court. We had a special bus with cells in it. I was on the alarm in number one court and had to sit at the front in the dock with them."

After three years Robert and Marilyn tired of London and moved back up north to a posting at Hull Prison.

Incarcerated in Hull at the time were the Krays' arch-rivals Charlie and Eddie Richardson, who headed the notorious Torture Gang, and their henchman 'Mad' Frankie Fraser.

Mr Thorpe said: "There were quite a few Great Train Robbers, including Tommy Wisbey and, I think, Buster Edwards. They kept them all on one wing. You came across most of the notorious prisoners - it was just part of the job."

He later trained as a Health Care Officer and served on the hospital wing at Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight, then home to the Krays, Teacup Poisoner Graham Young, Cambridge Rapist Peter Cook and the notorious Charles Bronson (then known as Michael Peterson).

After serving at both Stafford and then Exeter Prison as Health Care Principal Officer, Mr Thorpe and his wife moved back north again, Robert working as hospital manager at Preston Prison, where mass murderer Harold Shipman underwent his psychiatric evaluation.

Now, after 12 months off to 'wind down', Mr Thorpe wants to put his medical training to use and help disabled people. He said: "I have dealt with people with disabilities and acute medical problems, so I am looking at working part time as a driver carer."