Benjamin Zephaniah confesses he was violent towards former girlfriends

Poet said he apologised to a girlfriend he said he hit, and explained how his views changed when he became more politically active

Poet Benjamin Zephaniah (Rex)

Writer, poet and musician Benjamin Zephaniah has said he hit a former girlfriend.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live's Nihal Arthanayake, the Birmingham-born artist admitted he treated some of his girlfriends in a "terrible" way, and later regretted his behaviour, saying it "ate at me".

"One day, I said to her, I'm really sorry for the way I acted in the past," he explained, and said his attitude had changed as he became more politically active.

Zephaniah, 60, who has long campaigned on racism and social justice issues, has spoken previously about how his father beat his mother. He later wrote a poem which addressed his own hypocrisy.

His autobiography, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, is published in the UK this week.

Last week Zephaniah - whose family was part of the Windrush generation - called on prime minister Theresa May to "fix up" amid the ongoing scandal.

"We need justice, we need equality, and you need to fix up and put it right - now," he said on the Andrew Marr show.