Doncaster crime author's book pulled from shelves over claims he made up interview with Yorkshire Ripper

Writer Paul Harrison has also quit a series of upcoming live shows and social media after his publisher Urbane announced it was pulling his book Mind Games following a number of newspaper revelations suggesting that interviews with a string of criminals had been ‘dreampt up.’

And The Sun reported that Peter Sutcliffe, better known as the Yorkshire Ripper, even wrote in a letter that he had never met Harrison, describing him as ‘a charlatan’ and ‘a conman.'

In a Facebook post, now deleted, Mr Harrison apologised to fans after saying that he’d ‘let everyone down’ because he was ‘weak and vulnerable’.

He wrote: “This monster is no longer mine, nor is it what I wanted it to be.

“I saw it as a tool to give victims a voice, everywhere, but because I'm weak and vulnerable and utterly useless at decision making I was introduced into sensationalising events by promoters who often sent out misleading blurb. Something I had to live up to.

“I've decided to call it a day for now. No more shows or interaction on social media. All I wanted to do was help raise the profile of victims everywhere. Now, it seems I've let everyone down, I'm sorry for that.”

His announcement came after The Sun reported that the former Northamptonshire policeman had invented interviews with Sutcliffe, Ted Bundy and others were drawn into question.

His publisher Urbane issued a statement saying that Mind Games would be pulled from shelves and profits donated to charities helping victims of violent crime.

The statement said: “You may have seen the article on the Sun website calling into question the veracity of Paul Harrison’s claim to be an experienced criminal profiler.

“Like everyone who worked with Paul Harrison, the attendees to his talks and the readers of his books, we are very concerned by these revelations and are currently seeking clarification before deciding what further action to take.

“However, with immediate effect we will be withdrawing Mind Games from sale and endeavouring to remove all stock and details from every relevant retail channel.

“We will also be donating any profits we have secured thus far from the sales of Mind Games to charities that help and support victims of violent crime.”

The author of 33 books, he says he worked as a police officer in the UK for three decades, “serving as a dog handler, intelligence officer, as a detective and later as a profiler”, and that he “worked closely” with the FBI’s Behavioural Science Unit in Quantico, Virginia for six months in 1982.

In interviews and at his live events, Harrison has claimed that Sutcliffe told him: “You seem completely indifferent to me. I’m scared of you.” He also claimed to have been present in the final days of Reggie Kray’s life and that he met American serial killers including Bundy and John Wayne Gacy.

His reputation was even called into question in a letter by serial killer Peter Sutcliffe who wrote: 'Paul Harrison is an absolute charlatan, a conman. He never corresponded with me, nor did he ever visit me. He needs to be exposed for the downright liar he is! What a wazzock.”