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Former gangland boss and Krays rival Eddie Richardson has died at the age of 90.

Richardson led the 'Torture Gang' in Sixties London and terrorised the capital with his brother Charlie.

His sister Elaine said Eddie had died this morning in the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley, south London.

He was admitted with pneumonia a few days ago.

Elaine Richardson said: 'We are all very sad. He had his 90th birthday in January. Eddie was a family man and he had a lot of friends, he was very loyal to his friends. We know he was 90 but we are all going to miss him.'

When asked if Richardson had remained involved in his gangland criminal activity in his old age, a source said: 'He was such a staunch old fella that he could have been up to something but you would never have known.'

The south London based Richardson mob feuded with the east London Kray twins more than 60 years ago.

Brothers Eddie and Charlie used a scrap metal business and fruit machine company as fronts for a criminal empire involving drug dealing, protection and extortion rackets.

Former gangland boss and Krays rival Eddie Richardson has died at the age of 90

Twin brothers and organised crime bosses Ronnie and Reggie Kray

The Kray Twins, Ronald and Reginald, seen here at home after helping police with their inquiries into a shooting at the Blind Beggar Pub

The gang were most feared for their bodyguard 'Mad' Frankie Fraser, who tortured anyone who crossed them following trial by kangaroo court run by the brothers.

His favoured methods of torture were rumoured to be pulling teeth out with pliers, nailing people to the floor using six-inch spikes, and electrocuting others using a crank-handled telephone.

Eddie shot down his gangland rivals, the Kray twins, reputation in 2015 claiming they were 'small timers' who 'weren't in his league'.

He said at the time that the famous east-end criminals Ronnie and Reggie Kray lacked 'the brains' to ever be considered true rivals.

Richardson said he was 'amazed' by the interest the Krays still generate and says the pair were nothing like legends in his eyes.

Richardson said in 2015: 'The Krays had watched too many US gangster films. They wanted to be like Al Capone but didn't have the brains to do anything major league.'

Eddie was described by two separate Home Secretaries as ‘one of the most dangerous men in Britain’ and served a total of 46 years in jail.

His career-ending arrest came in 1990, when he was busted following a £70million drugs deal that earned him a 35-year prison sentence, eventually commuted to 13 years.

Aside from the Krays and Fraser, his associates included the Great Train Robbers, the prison reformer Lord Longford and Brian Keenan, then head of the armed council of the IRA.