He held the European featherweight title for only one year, losing it to French boxer Ray Famechon in a fifteen round decision in Nottingham on 22 March 1948.

[4] He regained the British featherweight title with a victory over Dai Davies in a fifth round TKO on 30 June 1952 in Abergavenny, making him the exceptional winner of two Lonsdale belts in his career.

[4] His fifth round loss to South African Vic Toweel, former holder of the World bantamweight title, on 12 December 1953 in Johannesburg was his only recorded bout fought outside of the United Kingdom.

In his last bout on 1 June 1954, he lost his British featherweight title to Sammy McCarthy in London's White City, quitting in the eighth round when he experienced a loss of vision that apparently ended his boxing career.

[1] In October 2006 the silver-gilt featherweight Lonsdale Belt won outright by Clayton in 1953 was auctioned by Bonhams as part of a sporting memorabilia sale for £2,938.