A Buckinghamshire man has revealed what it's like to be known as the UK’s toughest prison officer after being crowned the second strongest man in England in 2021, qualifying him for the UK title.

Sam Duthie, 33, works at HMP Aylesbury as a prison officer, and initially feared being a target for prisoners looking to pick a fight with the biggest officer in Aylesbury.

However, his notoriety as a strongman has had the opposite effect, and he is treated like a hero by the inmates.

The prisoners are fully aware of his competition and he is treated like Messi or Ronaldo by them.

Sam is described as a "gentle giant" and a very calm and level-headed person.

He believes that having great communication skills is more important than size when it comes to being a good prison officer.

Sam dreamed of competing as a strongman as a child while watching the strongest man contests on television.

His mother originally thought his dream was a pipedream, but he continued to pursue it.

He often thought about lifting cars and pulling lorries when he was in school.

Sam is in the best shape of his life and could soon be crowned the UK champion.