Notorious long-serving prisoner Charles Bronson has been seen performing a song behind bars for his mother as he makes his latest in a long line of bids for freedom.

The convicted armed robber, 73, has a parole hearing - his ninth - due to conclude today and that could potentially see him be released after decades in prison.

He is seen in the video dedicating the song What A Wonderful World to his mother Eira Peterson, 96, who has been too unwell to visit him for several years.

Bronson, pictured behind bars, begins by saying: 'If I was speaking to me mum, this is what I'd say. Yeah. Well, hello, Duchess! How are you, girl?

'It's me. It's Charlie. Not seen you for a while. About nine years.

'I forget you're always in me heart, always will be. We've had some rough tumbles over the years, but we're still there, mum. We're still there, girl.

'And remember this, it's all downhill now. I'm on me way. We'll have that cup of tea and a lovely slice of apple pie, okay?

'So what I'm going to do for you, mum, I'm going to sing you our favourite song.'

The inmate then proceeds to belt out the song made famous by Louis Armstrong.

Video of the song was recorded behind bars at HMP Long Lartin in April last year, shortly before Bronson was moved to HMP Wakefield, known as 'Monster Mansion'.

Bronson, whose birth name was Michael Gordon Peterson, has been held there while he waits for his latest parole hearing.

However, he is said to be optimistic that he will be released and one of his lawyers said Bronson had 'high hopes he can see his mother this year'.

The first part of the case was in February this year before it progressed to an oral hearing, which is due to conclude today, November 3.

A fellow inmate who recorded the video, and wanted to remain anonymous, described Bronson as having 'a heart of gold', adding: 'This shows he's a human, not a monster.'

A Prison Service spokesperson today said: 'Charles Bronson’s crimes were horrific and our thoughts remain with his victims.

'It's completely unacceptable for offenders to use mobile phones in custody and anyone caught breaking prison rules can face tough punishments, including extra time behind bars.'

Bronson, from Luton, was first jailed in 1974, aged 21, for armed robbery.

He was briefly released in 1987 and again five years later but has remained in prison since his return in 1993.

In 2000, he received a life sentence for taking a prison teacher hostage the previous year.

Bronson has spent half a century behind bars, mostly in solitary confinement or specialist units.

Before arriving at Wakefield, Bronson had also been held at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes.

It was from Woodhill that he appeared at a public Parole Board hearing in March 2023, attempting to convince a panel he was no longer dangerous.

During three days of hearings, he joked that he had eaten 'more porridge than Goldilocks and the Three Bears' and insisted that he was tired of prison life.

However, a panel concluded his risk could not be safely managed outside a high-security prison.

Bronson developed a fearsome reputation for attacks on prisoners and staff, rooftop protests and a series of hostage sieges.

During one trial, he described having taken 11 hostages in nine separate sieges.

Victims of his attacks have included prison governors, doctors, staff and, on one occasion, his own solicitor.

In 1999, Bronson held prison art teacher Phil Danielson hostage at HMP Hull for 44 hours.

Mr Danielson was tied up, assaulted and threatened with improvised weapons during the terrifying ordeal.

Bronson received an indefinite life sentence for false imprisonment in February 2000.

Although the minimum term attached to that sentence expired in February 2003, repeated Parole Board panels have decided that he cannot yet safely be released.

His most recent conviction for a violent offence followed an attack on a prison governor in 2014.