A FORMER DJ from the district has revealed how clubbers thought his sets were “absolutely marvellous” thanks to the unusual management techniques of nightclub king Peter Stringfellow.

John Pennington, who himself went on to run several nightclubs before becoming a local politician, recalled his days working for Stringfellow as he paid tribute to the 77-year-old, who died yesterday.

Councillor Pennington, who is now councillor for Bingley and leader of the district’s Conservative Party, spoke warmly of the 18 months he spent working as a DJ in Stringfellow’s Leeds clubs.

He also spoke of the “king of clubs” popularity with women.

Stringfellow died after spending time in hospital following a secret battle with cancer.

The Sheffield-born entrepreneur will be best known for his decades in the nightclub industry, with his London clubs being the haunts of major celebrities.

But he began his career in Yorkshire, and after setting up his first club in Sheffield he moved to nightclubs in Leeds.

Cllr Pennington told the Telegraph & Argus: “I worked with him when he was at Cinderella’s and Rockerfella’s in Leeds, before he moved to Manchester. He’d actually asked me to go with him to Manchester, but the travelling would have been too much for me.

“It is sad that he has gone. He certainly knew how to enjoy himself. He was so charismatic - everyone loved him. Women really loved him, he would send them flowers with notes saying ‘love from Peter.’

“What they didn’t realise was he was sending them to every other woman - he had a card index so he could make sure he didn’t send the same woman flowers twice.”

When he started DJing for Stringfellow, he said the entrepreneur had come up with an unusual way of making sure his DJs were as popular with the crowds as possible. Cllr Pennington said: “They showed me this other person and told me he would DJ before me. They told me to tell him what time I wanted to go on, and he would go on shortly before me. This first guy would deliberately play music that was difficult to dance to, and there wouldn’t be many people on the dance floor.

“Then I would come on, shout ‘I thought this was a nightclub,’ play some popular chart songs and really get people dancing.

“The people in the club would think I was absolutely marvellous because of this.

“He was very much a one of a kind, he has nothing to come back for. He would want us all to celebrate his life.”

Former boxing champion Frank Bruno was among those to pay tribute to Stringfellow, Tweeting: “I met this man a few times over the years. A great guy & king of the discos. My thoughts are with his family.”

Tony Blackburn tweeted that Stringfellow was a “terrific guy who lived life to the full.”