Donald Neilson, the serial killer known as the Black Panther, has died, the Ministry of Justice has said.

The 75-year-old died on Sunday after being taken from Norwich Prison to hospital with breathing difficulties.

Neilson was convicted of four murders, including that of 17-year-old kidnap victim Lesley Whittle, who was snatched from her Shropshire home in 1975.

Three years ago he lost an appeal to have his life sentence, imposed in 1976, reduced to 30 years.

A Prison Service spokesman said Neilson was taken to hospital in the early hours of Saturday after suffering breathing difficulties and was pronounced dead at 18:45 GMT on Sunday.

“As with all deaths in custody, the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation,” he said.

Neilson murdered heiress Lesley Whittle in 1975 and shot dead three sub-postmasters during armed robberies.

He was also responsible for the burglaries of some 400 sub post offices.

In 2008, High Court judge Mr Justice Teare ruled the killer must never be released from prison, saying: “This is a case where the gravity of the applicant’s offences justifies a whole life order.”