The editor of the Hull Daily Mail has spoken out about his newspaper’s decision to run an interview with Charles Bronson – the man dubbed Britain’s most dangerous prisoner.

John Meehan told holdthefrontpage the Mail’s article had not glorified Bronson, rather reporter Adam Lovell had been able to put tough questions to him about his actions thanks to “hard work and initiative”.

As reported yesterday, the Mail carried a front page article which saw Bronson reveal his regret over taking teacher Phil Danielson hostage at Hull Prison, and his dream of being released back into society.

Mail reporter Adam had won the exclusive with the help of North Lincolnshire man Alan Rayment, who is in regular contact with Bronson, and spoke to the prisoner on the phone.

John said: “We have not glorified Charles Bronson, we have not justified his actions or made him into someone he isn’t.

“We have given him the opportunity to state his position, and we have not thrown soft questions at him, but tackled him on his conduct and in particular his actions at Hull Prison.

“It is an interesting story, raising some interesting issues and is great journalism by reporter Adam Lovell who worked really hard to build a rapport with a contact from his previous paper, the Scunthorpe Telegraph.

“His contact had a friendship with Charles Bronson and Adam managed to secure a telephone interview using good journalistic initiative and gain a cracking story.”

John said he and his team had thought very carefully before going ahead with the interview, and they had also ensured that nothing would be published which would compromise prison security.

Following publication dozens of readers had posted comments on the Mail’s website – many of which were against Bronson and the interview.

But others had said Bronson was entitled to speak out and say he was a changed man.

John said: “Part of our role is stimulating debate and it has clearly done that.

“We are interested in carrying good, readable stories about personalities such as this and we know there is an appetite for an interview with arguably Britain’s most notorious prisoner. Newspapers across the country have carried hundreds of stories about him in the past.

“We interviewed Phil Danielson extensively at the time and we endevoured to speak to him again, but I understand he has left the country and is not contactable.”