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Who was the infamous Wakefield ‘shark puncher’ Paul Sykes?
A championship-caliber weight lifter, heavyweight boxer, accomplished author and highly educated college graduate (accomplished in prison), Sykes was not a man to be messed with.
He's one of Britain's most notorious criminals and has been described as more fearful than the Krays, but how much do you really know about Yorkshire's infamous hard man?
It's been said before that Paul Sykes, or 'Sykesky', was so tough that even Britain's most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson didn't want to fight him.
Known for single-handedly winning fights with big groups of men and - as a viral video revealed - punching sharks, Sykes developed a fearsome local reputation in his hometown and beyond.
He first took up boxing at the age of 7 at the Robin Hood and Thorpe Amateur Boxing Club, impressing tutors with his advanced skill. This combined with his size and ability made him a formidable opponent, even as a young child.
However, he also began drinking around this age - setting himself on the wrong track and doing his first prison stint at the tender age of 17.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fjC3zQu9ds
A championship-caliber weight lifter, heavyweight boxer, accomplished author and highly educated college graduate (accomplished in prison), Sykes was not a man to be messed with.
Still, many of his achievements were marred by his getting into trouble and he spent the majority of his final years in 18 different UK prisons.
Sykes' adult life regularly featured alcohol abuse, petty robberies and violent crimes, however during a brief period of rehabilitation between 1978 and 1980 he fought ten bouts as a professional boxer - ending the career of American boxer David Wilson after just one fight.
As one of Britain's most notorious criminals he's featured in many books on UK prisoners, including the 2018 prison expose Get Behind Your Door, in which Sykes is referred to as a man that punched like "greased lightning".
Throughout the book, author Patsy Manning tells stories of Sykes' life on the inside and outside including a tale of one night they visited London nightclub Rebecca's together.
He writes: “The four of them rushed towards Paul, all throwing punches and Paul started to throw punches of his own dead fast.
“They had to be because he was up against four geezers who could have a bit of a fight under normal circumstances.
“Any ordinary man would have had no chance on his own, but Paul was no ordinary man.
“His punches were like greased lightning."
Apparently, it wasn't the first time he'd taken on multiple men at once and emerged victorious.
Image taken from book Sykes: Unfinished Agony by Jamie Boyle
According to another book The Guv'nor, this time by author Lenny McLean, Sykes also took on four bouncers in his hometown of Wakefield and caused their British title fight to be canceled.
He wrote: “A week before the off, Sykes went into a club in Wakefield where he lives, got well p***** and had a ruck with four doormen.
“He did them all but one of them got lucky and put a cut above his eye that took eight stitches to pull together.”
For years, Sykes was classed as one of the country's most dangerous prisonerss and was frequently moved for committing violent acts against both prison and police officers.
Released from HMP Hull in 1990, he went on to work as a debt collector for Wakefield businessman Dennis Flint, often travelling to Spain for work.
It was around this time that producer Roger Greenwood followed him around Yorkshire as he filmed the documentaryPaul Sykes: At Large.
In one popular clip that often does the rounds online, Sykes says Wakefield is "the best little city on earth" and talks pretty casually about punching sharks as if there's nothing to it.
"How do I know? I've been everywhere else. I'm here now, right on the family patch," he snarls to the camera.
"I'm the only man in history of mankind that's swum across the straight of Johor, to avoid the police."
"Nobody's ever done it before, not because of the currents, nothing like that; it's sharks. Not shark-infested but none of the locals go paddling or swimming."
"Sharks'll have a look at me and think yeah I know how to do them, you punch them right in the f***ing earhole and they swim off."
Sykes passed away in 2007 from liver cirrhosis and pneumonia aged just 60 years old after a impressive criminal career.
If you'd like to learn more about him, you can watch the full documentary on Youtube here.
UK News
The National Pizza Awards are looking for one lucky person to join the 2026 judging panel
Job adverts don’t come much better than this, as the National Pizza Awards is searching for one lucky person to join the judging panel at this year’s grand final.
The National Pizza Awards invite chefs from across the hospitality industry each year to submit their signature recipes in a bid to claim the coveted title of National Pizza of the Year title, providing a platform for the UK’s ultimate pizza professionals to showcase their recipes on a national scale.
Hosted by Dine Out magazine finalists face off in a live cooking showdown in front of a hand-picked panel of industry judges.
On top of a signature round, competitors take part in a technical challenge that sees them construct the best dish from a selection of ingredients, with the winner being named National Pizza Chef of the Year.
Images: The Manc Group
And this year, you could play a part in picking the winners.
That’s right – the National Pizza Awards has launched a nationwide search for a new judge, and the only catch (if you can even call it a catch) is that the judge will need to sample 16 of the UK’s best pizzas in a single day as chefs battle it out for the title.
It’s a tough gig, but someone’s got to do it, and if you want to be that someone, entries are now open for you to enter.
Pizzas are judged on how the they’re made, the flavour profile, how they’re cooked, the aesthetic and presentation, and the texture, quality, and consistency, as well as the choice of ingredients.
To be in with a chance, you’ll simply just need tag your favourite pizza place in the Instagram competition post, and then if that place enters the awards and makes it through to the final cook-off, you’ll be entered into a draw to become that all-important guest judge this November.
Think your local pizzeria has what it takes? Back them, get tagging, and you could find yourself helping crown the UK’s pizza champion.
Everything you need to know about watching the solar eclipse in Leeds
Emily Sergeant
People all across the UK will be able to see an almost total solar eclipse in the sky this evening.
For the first time this century, with the last one being all the way back in 1999, people in the UK and Ireland – including here in Leeds – will get to see 90-96% of the sun covered by the moon today (12 August 2026), and if that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, this will be the last chance to do so until 2081.
NASA and Royal Museums Greenwich has confirmed that tomorrow’s solar eclipse will be the most coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 event.
But what can astronomy fans in Leeds expect from today’s eclipse? When will it be happening? How much coverage is our region going to see? And where are some of the best places to watch?
First up, let’s get the basics out the way – what is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light either partly or fully.
Although the UK will only see a partial solar eclipse this time, some other countries – such as parts of Iceland, Spain, Portugal, and Greenland – will be lucky enough to witness the spectacle of a total eclipse for a duration of up to two minutes and 18 seconds.
When will it be happening?
The eclipse is set to start at 6:13pm in Greater Manchester, and will run right through to 8:03pm – with the peak happening at 7:10pm.
How much coverage can Greater Leeds expect?
Of course, we always have to preface anything we say about astronomical events like this by saying ‘it depends on the weather’, as we do like in the north after all, and even though it is the height of summer, that won’t stop the skies from being overcast.
Luckily though, the Met Office is predicting some of the best weather conditions for an event like this in a long time, so it really is worth watching.
Spectators in Leeds will see 90 - 92% coverage, according to expert sources.
How can I watch the eclipse safely?
If there’s one thing experts are stressing, it’s the need to take correct precautions if you are planning to watch tomorrow.
The most important thing is to wear eclipse glasses and avoid looking directly at the sun.
It’s true that during an eclipse, the sun does appears dimmer therefore making it easier to look at directly, however solar radiation can still reach and damage the retina, often without causing any pain, so you may not realise harm is occurring until it’s too late.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises that there are two safe approaches – specialist eclipse viewers, or indirect viewing methods.
Eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers must be genuine, sold by a reputable retailer, and have specially designed filters that meet the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E). They must also have no scratches, tearing, or damage to the lens.
Old pairs may not be reusable, and sunglasses should never be used.
Indirect view methods include viewing the sun’s image projected through a colander or the gaps between tree leaves on to white paper, or using a pinhole pierced in one sheet of card and projected on to another.
Georgina Pellant -
7th June 2021 
