Ferris heads back to jail

Paul Ferris as he left Frankland Prison in January

A Glasgow gun-runner turned author who pledged to go straight after being released on parole in January is back behind bars.

Paul Ferris's parole licence was revoked after an alleged breach of its conditions.

He is reported to have been involved in a knife fight last week with another notorious Glasgow underworld figure, Tam "The Licensee" McGraw.

He had served two-thirds of a seven-year sentence for gun-running before his release in January and is now expected to remain locked up until 2005.

Campbell has written his own book

The 38-year-old had been held at Frankland Jail near Durham.

The feud between the two men is also linked through Glasgow's complex underworld web to the stabbing last weekend of Thomas TC Campbell, one of two men convicted of the Ice Cream Wars murders.

Ferris was once an enforcer for the notorious Thompson crime family in Glasgow, but fell out with Arthur Thompson.

He was later charged with the 1991 murder of his son, Arthur "Fat Boy" Thompson Jr, but was acquitted.

He was jailed at the Old Bailey in 1998 after being found guilty of conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons, conspiracy to deal in firearms and possessing explosives.

Crime books

Two co-accused were each jailed for five years for their part in the plot.

Ferris has said that he plans to use his experiences to write crime fiction books which would be more "realistic" than those currently on offer.

His book "Ferris Conspiracy", which he wrote while in prison with the help of co-author Reg McKay, sold 20,000 copies.

Earlier this year Ferris told BBC News Online that he had given up crime and said he believed he could make a good living as an author.

He is said also to have started a security business providing a service to hotels and leisure firms.

Licence revoked

A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said Ferris had been arrested on Thursday evening.

"Paul Ferris arrived at force headquarters and stated that he wished to surrender to police custody," he said.

"I believe he knew he was required and picked the time and place. His licence has been revoked, meaning that he was unlawfully at large."

Ferris was held overnight at the police station before being transferred to prison.

However, it has been reported that Ferris plans to fight to regain his freedom through the English courts.