Peter Stringfellow PA Archive / PA Images PA Archive / PA Images / PA Images

PETER STRINGFELLOW, THE renowned English nightclub owner, has died at the age of 77.

Stringfellow, known as the King of Clubs, died this morning after a private battle with cancer, his spokesman Matt Glass said.

“It’s very sad news. He passed away in the early hours of this morning,” Glass said.

It was kept very private, he didn’t want to tell. He wanted to keep it a secret.

Stringfellow’s world-famous, eponymously-named venue in London’s West End was a notorious celebrity hangout.

In a career spanning more than 50 years, he opened late night venues across the world, in locations like Miami and Paris, not to mention an ill-fated foray into the Irish market with a club in Dublin at the height of the Celtic Tiger.

That Stringfellows venue ended up closing its doors at its Parnell Street location after a mere five months in 2006, not least due to the nightly protests against its very existence that dogged its brief period in operation.

Stringfellow’s career began in 1962 when he rented out a church to partygoers every Friday night.

In 1980 he opened his West End venue in Covent Garden, with his brand thereafter becoming known for its ‘gentleman’s club’ reputation and topless dancers.

Married three times, Stringfellow is survived by his wife Bella, his four children, and four grandchildren.