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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
Leeds station to undergo £303m transformation in biggest upgrade for a generation
Leeds train station set for biggest transformation in a generation as Government backs growth.
If you thought the work was over for Leeds station, think again.
Because passengers are set to see major improvements as the Government injects a further £200 million into the development of the transport hub.
The additional funding was announced at the Budget today, with upgrades set to be delivered by 2030 and will include the construction of a new central overbridge, three new entrances, more space on the concourses and a longer Platform 14.
Image: Supplied
It means passengers will benefit from more direct routes, less crowding, and nearly 40% more ticket barriers.
Three new entrances will strengthen links between the station and town, improving access to the South Bank, the Dark Arches and Princes Square.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: "Leeds station is the gateway to West Yorkshire, and this extra £200 million investment will turn it into a station this city can be proud of: modern, welcoming and built for the people who rely on it every single day.
"The great cities of the north deserve better transport, and that’s exactly what we’re delivering. We're paving the way for Northern Powerhouse Rail, forging stronger connections across the region, and backing the infrastructure that creates jobs, builds homes and puts passengers first as we work to set up Great British Railways."
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: "Leeds Station is the beating heart of our region's transport network, connecting millions of people to jobs, education and opportunity every year – and it’s only going to get busier.
“This investment will benefit passengers and businesses, help to unlock the capacity we need for future growth and create a gateway to West Yorkshire that reflects our ambition.
“Together with our wider plans for West Yorkshire’s Weaver Network, we're building a better-connected region which works for all.”
New survey reveals the UK’s national dish in shocking landslide victory
Emily Sergeant
If you’ve ever thought to Google the question ‘what is Britain’s national dish?’, then you probably came away thinking it’s chicken tikka masala.
But is that actually the truth? A new survey has disproved the claim, massively.
There’s no denying that chicken tikka masala – an Indian curry that’s actually widely thought to have been created in Britain – is a popular dish that’s loved by many, but despite what many headlines have claimed over the years, a new YouGov survey has revealed it’s not what Brits consider to be the country’s ‘national dish’.
YouGov conducted two online surveys earlier this month, made up of 2,079 and 2,104 adults aged 18+ living in Great Britain.
Image: The Manc Group
And, in their own words, Brits chose fish and chips as the country’s national dish, making it the ‘resounding’ winner with 49% of the vote.
With nearly half of the overall vote, this puts fish and chips far ahead of the roast dinner in second place, which only 24% of people picked – including the 6% who made sure to specify a beef roast.
In fact, only 3% of Brits actually name chicken tikka masala as the UK’s national dish, although 52% in the survey did confess that they eat some form of curry at least once a month, so it is still a popular pick regardless.
Fish and chips is by far the most common answer across all generations too, according to the survey (45-50%), with the biggest difference between age groups being that 18-24 year olds are less likely to have nominated roast dinner and more likely to have chosen chicken tikka masala instead.
What do Brits say is the UK’s national dish?
Fish and chips – 49%
Roast dinner – 24%
Chicken tikka masala – 3%
Curry (non-specific) – 2%
Full English breakfast – 2%
Bangers and mash – 1%
Cottage or shepherd’s pie – 1%
Other – 3%
Don’t know – 15%
The survey also showed that, of the three top contenders for the UK’s national dish, roast dinners are the most frequently eaten, as 52% of people said they eat them on a monthly basis – including 16% who do so every week.
Aside from the frequently mentioned dishes, some survey respondents also gave shoutouts to the full English breakfast (2%), bangers and mash (1%), and cottage or shepherd’s pie (1%).
What do you think then? Do you agree with the survey’s findings? Or would you have picked something else instead?
Georgina Pellant -
7th June 2021 
