Croydon brothers Harry and Herbie Spencer spent so much of their time fighting each other that their father paid for them to learn how to fight professionally.

Taken under the wing of 1913 Croydon heavyweight boxing champion Jim Elliott, the brothers later went on to compete in matches, earning up to 30 shillings each time.

Harry, a retired plumber who now lives in Ewell Village, said: "Herbie and I were always scrapping. One day dad decided we would learn how to fight properly.

"I was about 12 and Herbie was a couple of years younger when dad took us to a sports shop called Captain Cuttles in Station Road, West Croydon, and got us some boxing gloves.

"He took us to see Jim Elliott, a famous heavyweight boxer from Croydon, who agreed to train us."

Jim Elliott coached the Spencer brothers in the attic of a house in Strathmore Road, which belonged to a local chemist and boxing enthusiast known as Mr Roberts.

Mr Roberts was also a keen photographer and he captured many images of Jim Elliott training the Spencer brothers.

Harry added: "Mr Roberts was a boxing fan, so he let Mr Elliott train us in the attic at the top of his house two nights a week. There was no ring, it was just a room. Herbie and I used to beat the hell out of each other.

"I enjoyed the boxing but Mr Elliott's training regime was hard work. We had to get up every day and run around Duppas Hill at around 7am, then go and get ready for school. I didn't enjoy that much."

When the brothers were older, they would often fight at boxing matches held in Catford, organised by Croydon boxing promoter Syd Hulls.

Harry added: "There were a lot of good shows held there. Once I remember Herbie had a big fight in Catford but the guy he was supposed to fight never turned up. I had to take his place instead.

"I boxed under the name Harry Marks to avoid the surname Spencer being used twice.

"So we were billed as Marks and Spencer!

"We might have been brothers but we didn't pull our punches. We used to really hurt each other sometimes. My mum didn't seem to mind us beating the living daylights out of each other and dad would rather we boxed than scrap in the street.

"I reached the final once, winning about four or five fights in one night. We were paid about 30 shillings but once we had paid the promoter and the coach and second in the ring we were left with about 15 shillings each.

"In those days, apart from the cinema, there wasn't much else to do and boxing was very popular in Croydon.

"I fought a few times at the old Princes Theatre in North End. There were some good shows there."

Harry's boxing career came to an end when he was 21: he met his future wife, who hated the sport.

He had also started to experience health problems brought on by the fighting.

"I remember coming home from one fight and seeing stars. I gave it up before my eyesight was permanently damaged."

Harry's brother Herbie, who is now dead, continued boxing for a few more years, but he later lost the sight in one eye through injury.

"I did miss it when I it gave up," added Harry. "It was such a big part of my life. Boxing today seems to be a different game to the one I knew. They seem to hit a lot harder these days."