THE man who witnessed the last moments of some of Britain's most infamous murderers will be the subject of a new book.

Albert Pierrepoint was Britain's last hangman who guided murderers such as Ruth Ellis and Timothy Evans and the Second World War traitor Lord Haw Haw to the gallows.

Now his life and that of other family members who were executioners will be the subject of a fascinating new book by Bolton lecturer and author Steve Fielding.

The Pierrepoint family executed hundreds of people between 1901 and 1955.

His book will chronicle the fascinating history of the family, from Henry Pierrepoint, who became a hangman in 1901. He had been assistant to Bolton-born Official Executioner James Billington.

It will also tell the story of Henry's brother Thomas, who was the longest serving of the Pierrepoint executioners and carried out around 300 hangings in 40 years.

But it was Henry's son Albert, official executioner between 1932 and 1956, who was associated with some of Britain's most notorious cases.

He hanged Ruth Ellis, the last woman in Britain to face the death sentence.

He also hung Derek Bentley, the man convicted of killing a policeman, but who was later pardoned.

Timothy Evans, wrongly convicted of the murders at 10, Rillington Place - later the subject of a film - was also among those he executed, along with John Christie the real killer.

After retiring, Albert Pierrepoint became a landlord of The Rose and Crown near Preston and the Help the Poor Struggler in Oldham.

Mr Fielding, a 43-year-old lecturer at Bolton Community College, became interested in the Pierrepoint family after reading about them as a teenager.

He said: "I've found the family very interesting and would always read newspaper cuttings about them as a child.

"I want to explore in more detail about their lives as one of Britain's most prolific hangmen family." The book, provisionally entitled Pierrepoint: A Family of Executioners, is due out next year.

Mr Fielding is asking people who have any memories, photographs and anecdotes which may help with his book to contact him at 3, Wyndham Avenue, Bolton, BL3 4LQ, or you can e-mail steve@stevefielding.com