Former two-time world heavyweight champion Herbie Hide is eyeing a shock return to the boxing ring as he continues to try and emerge from the nightmare of being jailed following a drugs conviction.

Eastern Daily Press: Herbie Hide's euphoric celebration at beating Conroy Nelson for the WBC international heavyweight title at Norwich Sport Village in 1992. The picture also won a title for EDP staffer Bill Smith, who was named Kodak regional press photographer of the year.Herbie Hide's euphoric celebration at beating Conroy Nelson for the WBC international heavyweight title at Norwich Sport Village in 1992. The picture also won a title for EDP staffer Bill Smith, who was named Kodak regional press photographer of the year. (Image: Archant © 1992)

Mr Hide, now 45, has not fought since April 2010 when he beat Wayne Brooks in the Prizefighter quarter-finals at York Hall in London, but insists he still has what it takes to be a world champion again, and could be set to enlist the help of Herol 'Bomber' Graham to get him there.

He said: 'I would love to fight again.

'I would love to train with Herol Graham and to fight again. I'm excited about it but nothing concrete has been done.'

Mr Hide, from Bawburgh, says getting back into the ring will give him something positive to focus on following a turbulent time in his life which saw him end up in prison.

Eastern Daily Press: World Boxing Champion Herbie HideWorld Boxing Champion Herbie Hide (Image: Archant)

The Nigerian-born fighter was jailed for 22 months in 2013 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine following a sting operation engineered by Mazher Mahmood.

Mr Hide said: 'Me fighting would be a way to say its taken that off of me, I'm back.'

Mr Hide, whose defence lawyers at the time insisted he was 'entrapped', did manage to get the sentence cut to 18 months on appeal.

But he is now looking to clear his name completely after Mahmood was himself jailed for tampering with evidence in the collapsed drugs trial of pop star Tulisa Contostavlos.

Following a two-week trial at the Old Bailey, a jury found the 53-year-old 'King of the Sting' and his driver Alan Smith, 67, guilty of plotting to pervert the course of justice.

Judge Gerald Gordon jailed Mahmood, of Purley, south London, for 15 months.

As he was jailed, someone in the public gallery, believed to have been Mr Hide, shouted 'your turn now Mazher' to the journalist, who claims to have helped in the convictions of 100 criminals.

Speaking immediately after the sentencing at the Old Bailey last month, Mr Hide said: 'I'm happy he got sentenced, that's all I can say. Very happy.'