The Rettendon Range Rover murders, which shook Essex to its core in 1995 have been back in the news again this fortnight, with one of the murderers of the infamous ‘Essex Boys’ having his appeal rejected for a second time.

The killers have always protested their innocence, and in the years since the shockingly violent murders there have been countless new witnesses, evidence and inquiries, leaving a huge question mark over the case all these years later.

Gritty new drama The Fall of the Essex Boys, which is out on DVD today, shows the much fabled story from a new slant, from the point of view of ‘super grass’ Darren Nicholls, with previously unseen insight into the long running police investigation that was unable to bring the notorious gang down before their enemies did.

Little appears to have changed, with gangland warfare in the UK as heated today as it was when the Essex Boys were at the height of their notoriety.

In the build up to the DVD release, we look at some of the most notorious and violent gangs at large in the UK in the last 20 years.

Croxeth Crew

The Croxeth Crew is one of two rival gangs from neighboring Liverpool council estates, the other being the Norris Green Strand Crew, and after terrorizing communities with drug dealing and shootings, were found to be responsible for the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in 2007. Several members of the gang are currently standing trial for a number of violent incidents around the Liverpool area.

Gooch Gang

Based in Manchester, this gang was founded by contract killers who protected their network of drug transactions with an array of weapons and acts of violence. When the gang’s leaders were arrested in 2007, the number of shootings in Manchester dropped by 92%. Though the gang has now largely dissolved, Manchester is still a hotbed of gangland warfare, with the tragic shooting of police officers Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes thought to be the work of gangs.

Inter City Firm

The Inter City Firm is considered to be the first organised collective of football hooligans. It was within this group that Tony Tucker, Patrick Tate and Craig Rolfe, the infamous drug dealing gang referred to as the ‘Essex Boys’ met, subsequently meeting a gruesome end in a triple murder in Rettendon after a drug deal gone awry. The grisly nature of the so-called ‘Range Rover Murders’ became a source of national interest, spawning many films depicting the gang from various viewpoints.

Tottenham Man Dem Gang

Mark Lambie, leader of the Tottenham Mandem was one of the most feared gang leaders in UK history, nicknamed the ‘Prince of Darkness’ after a long reign of terror that involved horrific torture of his enemies. His 2002 jailing didn’t knock the gang, who as recently as 2009 had members jailed for murder. Spin off group The Star Gang, is thought to have been partly founded by Mark Duggan, shot dead by police in 2011. It was his death in a largely disputed shootout that sparked the UK wide riots, which brought high streets to a stand still with looting and violence.

Waterfront Gang, Meadows, Nottingham

The Waterfront Gang is one of the UK’s most feared drug gangs, cultivated from a rivalry between the Meadows and St Ann’s estates. At large for around thirty years, the gang and its rivals, the St Ann’s Crew, are thought to be responsible for a staggering number of drug related crime, and are thought to recruit children to do their bidding. Two gang members were jailed for the drive-by murder of a 14 year old school girl from rival St Ann’s estate in what judges described as ‘a terrible killing….a pathological and illogical hatred’.

The Fall Of The Essex Boys is out on DVD today.