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By the BBC's Sanchia Berg

The mystery of why one of Britain's most famous hangmen left his job has been solved - more than 90 years on.

Henry Pierrepoint, who had been chief executioner, gave up abruptly in 1910.

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His son Albert, chief executioner himself, said he never knew why his father "resigned".

But files recently released at the Public Record Office show that Henry Pierrepoint was sacked because he had arrived for an execution in Chelmsford in July 1910 "considerably the worse for drink".

According to the chief warder, as his officers were handing over the prisoner's details Pierrepoint suddenly "opened a volley of abuse" at his assistant, John Ellis. Both executioners had arrived the afternoon before the hanging,as usual.

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Ellis later wrote: "He rushed at me and knocked me out off the chair I was sat on. I got up but was again knocked off. He was going for me again when warder Nash, who had heard the noise, came in, and attempted to stop him, but failed, and the