How gangster Dessie Noonan ran the far right out of Manchester - and boasted of 27 killings

It's 1993 and the far-right are trying to get a foothold in Manchester. The British National Party has recently started a branch in the south of the city, but they're meeting fierce resistance from Manchester's militant anti-fascists.

A meeting between the two warring sides is set up in a Moss Side pub. In attendance is one of Manchester's most infamous gangsters, a man rumoured to be linked to more than two dozen murders. And it's said he left the BNP in no doubt whatsoever that their presence wasn't welcome in his city.

Read more: The rise and fall of Dominic Noonan, the paedophile gangster who once ruled Manchester's underworld

Desmond Noonan was a feared member of Manchester's underworld during the heady days of the late 80s and 90s, controlling the city's drug trade through a regime of brutal violence including stabbings and shootings. What's less well-known about him is that he was also a prominent anti-fascist activist, willing to do whatever it took to drive the far right out of Manchester.

Dessie was born to working-class Irish parents and raised in Whalley Range, as one of 14 siblings whose first names all began with the letter D. He began his climb up the ranks of gangland Manchester alongside his brothers Damien and Dominic.

They initially specialised in armed robbery, but as Acid House and ecstasy saw Manchester become one of the clubbing capitals of the world, they adapted to the times. At 6ft tall and weighing 20st Dessie was a huge, intimidating presence - and he wasn't afraid to use violence to get what he wanted.

He had been working as a bouncer in Manchester since the early 80s. And with him playing the role of enforcer while also forging links with organised crime groups across the country, 'the