Howard Marks, who turned his experiences as an international drug smuggler into the best-selling memoir Mr Nice, has died at the age of 70.

Marks, who was diagnosed with inoperable bowel cancer in 2014, died at his home in Bridgend, South Wales.

After receiving his diagnosis, he told The Observer he did not regret any part of his life, which included his conviction and imprisonment for serious drug offences.

• Queen slams Sacha Baron Cohen
• Kerri-Anne broadcasts ailing husband’s battle

“Prison isn’t very high on the list of life’s tragedies,” he told the Guardian.

An Oxford graduate, Marks was caught by US authorities in 1988 and sentenced to 25 years jail in the Terre Haute prison in Indiana.

However, he was released on parole in 1995 after serving seven years.

He shot to fame in 1996 after publishing his autobiography Mr Nice which detailed his life on the run and in jail. The book became an international bestseller.

His career as a drug smuggler reportedly included trafficking up to 30 tonnes of cannabis at a time from Pakistan and Thailand to the US and Canada, and he claimed to be connected to the CIA, the IRA, MI6 and the Mafia.

In his later life, Marks campaigned for the legalisation for cannabis for recreational use.

Lovely, entertaining, inspiring man. Like our loaded mag Dad. A true rogue & Great writer. We all adored him RIP HM pic.twitter.com/kgtyVI7V2H

— James Brown (@jamesjamesbrown) April 10, 2016

He told the Observer last year: “Of course the legalising of marijuana for medical purposes is to be welcomed, but I never wanted to have to wait until I had cancer before I could legally smoke.”

Marks stood for parliament in four different seats in 1997 on the single issue of cannabis legalisation. He picked up about 1 per cent of the vote.

His friend James Brown, the former editor of UK ‘lad mag’ Loaded, called Marks a “lovely, entertaining, inspiring man”.

“We all adored him RIP HM”.