Nightclub club owner Peter Stringfellow has died at the age of 77.

He passed away in the early hours of this morning.

A spokesperson said the British businessman - known as the 'King of Clubs' - had been battling cancer, but had wanted to keep his illness private.

Stringfellow began working in the nightclub industry in the early 1960s, with his early English venues attracting performers such as Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Who and Elton John.

He opened his well-known Stringfellows 'gentlemen's club' in London in 1980, with the venue becoming one of the longest-running nightclubs.

Stringfellow expanded to the US with a New York venue, before launching other international venues in locations such as Los Angeles and Paris.

In 2006, a licenced Stringfellows venue opened on Parnell Street in Dublin city centre, briefly becoming Ireland's largest lap dancing club.

The sign for the Stringfellows club hangs up above the premises on Parnell Street, Dublin. Photo: RollingNews.ie

However, the venue was a source of widespread controversy and protests from local residents, and ultimately closed after only five months.

Stringfellow - a father of four - became a dad again in his 70s, after he and his third wife Bella had two children.

Speaking this morning, his publicist Matt Glass said: "It's very sad news. He passed away in the early hours of this morning.

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