Britain's most notorious prisoner, Charles Bronson, sparked a security stand-off at the maximum-security HMP Wakefield last week after his apple crumble was served without custard, according to reports.

The 73-year-old, who has spent more than half a century behind bars, staged a sit-down protest in an exercise yard, defying orders to return to his cell. Prison officers in riot gear were eventually deployed to escort him back to the jail's segregation unit.

The incident reportedly began after Bronson, who is legally known as Charles Salvador, was served his favorite dessert, apple crumble, without custard on a Monday evening. A source told the Daily Mail that the missing accompaniment "infuriated" the inmate, prompting his protest the following day.

"He loves his food and saw it as another example of the prison not giving him what he believes he is entitled to, so he decided to make his point in the yard," the source said. "Once it became clear he was not moving, specially equipped officers had to be brought in to bring the incident to an end."

Officers surrounded Bronson, who then ran at a shield and shouted, "This is for Reggie Kray." Bronson had been moved to HMP Wakefield from HMP Long Lartin after attacking another prisoner. He is held in the Close Supervision Centre, a unit for the prison's most violent and disruptive inmates, and typically spends 23 hours a day in solitary confinement.

Bronson was first jailed in 1974 at the age of 22 for armed robbery and wounding. His long criminal history includes numerous attacks on prison staff and other inmates, and he has taken hostages on multiple occasions. In 1999, he held a prison art teacher captive for 44 hours, resulting in a discretionary life sentence.

The stand-off comes as Bronson prepares for a parole board hearing scheduled for November. He had previously expressed hope for a reduction in his security conditions, potentially leading to his eventual release on license. However, his latest action may jeopardize these prospects.

"He wants to persuade the Parole Board that he has changed, that he can control himself yet he's causing a major disturbance over missing custard," a source stated. "Incidents like this raise the obvious question of whether he has been rehabilitated."

Wakefield is a familiar setting for Bronson, who has been held there during previous periods of his incarceration. It was during an earlier spell at the West Yorkshire jail that prison staff encouraged his interest in drawing and cartoons, which he now uses as evidence of his rehabilitation. Before his transfer to Wakefield, he was held at HMP Woodhill, from where he appeared at a public parole board hearing in March 2023. That panel concluded that his risk could not be safely managed outside a high-security prison.

A prison service spokesperson declined to comment on individual prisoners.