Paul Ferris, author and former crime boss, dies aged 62

Paul Ferris, a former Glasgow crime figure turned author, has died aged 62.

He passed away on Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) following a short illness, according to the Daily Record.

Mr Ferris abandoned a life of crime after serving a prison sentence, having previously worked alongside gang boss Arthur "The Godfather" Thompson Sr.

He was cleared of the 1991 murder of his former boss’ son, Arthur "Fat Boy" Thompson Jr.

Believing Mr Ferris was to blame, the crime boss "declared war" on him, and on the day of his son’s funeral, two of Ferris’ friends, Joe Hanlon and Bobby Glover, were found dead.

After turning his back on crime, Mr Ferris went on to become an author, having published his debut book, The Ferris Conspiracy, in 2001, co-written with Reg McKay.

The Wee Man, starring Martin Compston, was subsequently released in 2013, drawing heavily from Mr Ferris’s debut book.

After seeing the film, Mr Ferris previously said: “It was very humbling (to see the film), I thought it was an emotional rollercoaster.

“The best way was to be up front and honest about it.

“During the first 15-20 minutes of it when I first saw it in London I felt as though I needed fresh air but I didn’t want to give the wrong impression by standing up, because I was sitting at the front.

“To walk out might have made other people think: ‘Where’s he going?’ Or: ‘What does he not like about the movie?’

“I look back on it and it was trigger mechanisms from my childhood that I’d put to the back of my mind. Watching them unfold on the screen was a bit queasy. I felt like I needed to go for fresh air. I felt claustrophobic. I had that many emotions running through my mind.

“I don’t think I was adequately prepared for it. I was the first guy out the door when it finished.”