The Metropolitan Police are to carry out fresh inquiries after an investigation by the Today Programme uncovered claims that Ronnie Kray killed the wife of his brother Reggie. Many in the East End of London, where the Krays grew up and built their crime empire, consider the twins to be romantic, Robin Hood-like figures who only killed other criminals. Ronnie Kray was openly gay. Reggie always denied what many suspected - that he was also attracted to men. Now Reggie Kray's gay lover has spoken out for the first time - to Today - and he says that Reggie's wife Frances was forced - by his brother Ronnie - to take the pills that killed her.
Bradley Allardyce moved to Altea, Spain, and opened a restaurant after his release from prison three years ago. He served nine years for armed robbery. He spent three years in Maidstone Prison, four cells along the landing from Reggie Kray. Kray, who died two years ago, was serving life for the murder of Jack 'the hat' McVitie. Both denied they were more than just friends, until now.
Allardyce said: "I am openly admitting for the very first time that we had a sexual relationship."
Ronnie Kray was openly gay but Reggie always denied what many suspected - that he was also attracted to men.
Friends of Kray consider Allardyce to be the love of his life. They spent most of their time at Maidstone in each other's company. So strong was their trust that just before Allardyce's release, Kray gave him photos and letters. He also gave him a tape cassette on which Reggie boasts of how Ronnie murdered George Cornell.
One night in prison Reggie Kray revealed to Allardyce the crime that haunted him the most: the apparent suicide of his first wife.
He revealed the secret as they relaxed in Kray's cell. Allardyce said, "He just all of a sudden broke down and he said: 'I've got to tell you something I've only ever told two people - Ron killed Frances.'"
Allardyce says Ronnie confessed to Reggie two days after Frances' death. Ronnie said he forced her to take the pills that killed her.
Maureen Flanagan was a close friend of the Kray family for more than forty years, and was also close to the girl who became Reggie's wife, Frances Shea. She saw first hand how Ronnie despised her.
Ms Flanagan told the Today Programme: "When she first came on the scene, the first reaction from Ronnie was jealousy. He thought someone else was coming in to separate the them, and he did not want to be separated from Reggie."
The Krays' rule came to an end when they were arrested by a team of Scotland Yard detectives, led by Leonard 'Nipper' Read. He thinks that Allardyce's statements should - at the very least - be investigated.
"If this had been reported to me when I was investigating the whole area of what the Krays were up to ... that would have been pursued with vigour," Mr Read told Today. "It would have added weight to the allegations that these were indiscriminate murderers."
All the people involved, except Allardyce, are dead. But the Metropolitan Police has said it will carry out fresh inquiries. Scotland Yard have long suspected that the infamous Kray twins committed more murders than those for which they were imprisoned for life in 1969.
