Former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins tells jury of sex fantasy letters found in cell at Wakefield Prison

Watkins made the admission as he was cross-examined when he gave evidence in the trial where he is accused of having a mobile phone in prison.

The 42-year-old former frontman of the Welsh rock group denies the offences.

He has told Leeds Crown Court how other inmates forced him to keep the phone in his cell at Wakefield Prison as part of a plot to extort money from his fans.

Watkins claimed he believed his throat would have been slashed if he did not comply with the demand.

The jury has heard how 600 pages of letters were found in his cell when it was searched following the discovery of the mobile phone in March last year.Prosecutor Stephen Wood asked Watkins: "Would it be fair to describe everyone of those letters, those hundreds of pages, as being from fans."

Watkins replied: "Probably."

Mr Wood asked: "Why did you keep them?"

Watkins replied: "I honestly haven't thought about it." He added: "I have always been a hoarder."

The prosecutor then asked: "Was the majority of those letters from women?"

Watkins said: "Yes. They claimed to be."

Mr Wood continued: "Did some of those letters talk about sexual fantasies?"

Watkins replied: "Some."

Mr Wood then asked: "Did they also go in to specific detail?"

Watkins replied: "Some did yes."

Mr Wood then asked: "Is that another reason why you kept those letters?"

The defendant replied: "I would just store them away and not go through them."

Mr Wood accused Watkins of lying about his account that he had been forced to keep the phone in his cell.

He said: "You are making this up to the jury as you go along. It is part of the act Mr Watkins, isn't it?

"It's part of the performance. Just as those tears in the (police) interview were part of the performance?"

Watkins replied: "No".

Watkins also described one of the women he had made contact with from the prison as being a "friend with benefits" before he was jailed in 2012.

The prosecutor asked Watkins about his music career.

He said: "Do you miss the adoration? Do you miss the fans?"

Watkins said: "We never did it for that. I just miss the music."

Mr Wood then asked: "You do not miss the fans telling you how great you are? Not even for a single second?"

Watkins said: "I could live without it."

The trial continues.