NOTORIOUS prisoner Charles Bronson has told his parole hearing he "dreams of walking on grass" after spending nearly 50 years in prison.

The Parole Board review of one of the UK’s longest-serving prisoners to decide whether he should remain behind bars began this morning (March 6), making him the second inmate in UK legal history to have his case heard in public.

Members of the press and public are watching the proceedings – taking place in HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes – on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.

Dubbed one of Britain’s most violent offenders, Bronson – who changed his surname to Salvador in 2014 after the artist Salvador Dali who Bronson says is a "man of peace" – appeared on camera sat opposite a panel of parole judges wearing a black suit, white shirt and dark glasses.

Chester and District Standard: Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of notorious inmate Charles Bronson, appearing via video link from HMP Woodhill, during his public parole hearing at the Royal Courts Of Justice, London.Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of notorious inmate Charles Bronson, appearing via video link from HMP Woodhill, during his public parole hearing at the Royal Courts Of Justice, London. (Image: PA)

The hearing was also told that Bronson is locked in his cell for 23 hours a day due to staff shortages, and receives letters from 500 people.

Bronson was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, in December 1952 as Michael Peterson. His family moved to Ellesmere Port when he was a teenager.

He was first convicted of armed robbery in 1974, aged 22, and earned a reputation as a violent and dangerous inmate.

During his time inside he has taken hostages in 10 prison sieges, attacked at least 20 prison officers and caused £500,000 in damage in rooftop protests.

Bronson's bid for freedom

On the sometimes grainy live stream footage Bronson, who had been sipping what appeared to be a small carton of juice through a straw, was seen briefly standing up during the hearing and began asking for a tissue.

“I haven’t p***** myself,” he told the hearing as he placed the tissue under the juice carton and sat back down.

Amid long pauses, while the panel asked his prisoner offender manager questions, Bronson said: “We will be here all f****** day, won’t we?”

Making his latest bid for freedom, Bronson said he is now anti-violence and “almost an angel now” compared with his old self.

But despite insisting he now has ways of managing negative feelings and has turned to art, the 70-year-old – who was once dubbed one of Britain’s most violent offenders – said: “I was born to have a rumble.”

Bronson has spent most of the past 48 years behind bars, apart from two brief periods of freedom during which he reoffended, for a string of thefts, firearms and violent offences.

Chester and District Standard: A supporter of notorious inmate Charles Bronson outside the Royal Courts Of Justice, London, ahead of his public parole hearing.A supporter of notorious inmate Charles Bronson outside the Royal Courts Of Justice, London, ahead of his public parole hearing. (Image: PA)

'Why would I be ashamed?'

Bronson said he felt remorse for taking art teacher Phil Danielson hostage, but not the governor of Hull prison Adrian Wallace, or three Iraqi inmates he held at Belmarsh.

The inmate also said he is not ashamed of his protests when he climbed on to prison roofs.

“Why would I be ashamed? I’m fighting the penal system that has done humiliating things to me for decades,” he said.

Describing his treatment by the prison system over the years he said: “If I was a dog I’d have had the RSPCA on my side.”

'Give a man a break'

Asked about difficult situations he might face if released, Bronson said: “If some muppet wants to fight me or cause me problems I will handle it in a different way.”

He said he behaves like a “gentleman” and plans to go and live in the country if released.

He told the panel: “Give a man a break. We could be sitting around this table until the cow jumps over the moon talking the same old crap.

“I’m just a normal geezer wanting to get on with his life.”

Bronson said he now has ways of managing negative feelings.

He said: “When I’m in my cell and I’ve got a bad letter, or something’s happened, or someone has been nasty or whatever, I can sit in my cell now and switch off, and go into myself with deep breathing.

“Sometimes people push, push, push, take the piss, it’s blatant piss-taking, and some people need a slap, it’s as simple as that.”

The Parole Board will decide whether he should remain behind bars after the hearing, which is taking place over three days this week. A decision is due at a later date.