THE glowing tributes from celebrities in the media to Peter Stringfellow exemplify the sheer vulgarity and decadence of modern capitalism.

Even Dave Horsley describes Stringfellow as a “colourful and often controversial entrepreneur”, but he fails to describe the controversial aspects of Stringfellow's life (Echo, June 8).

As well as running mainstream nightclubs, Stringfellow ran strip joints and lap dancing clubs for rich men. Both Stringfellows in Covent Garden and his other main club, Angels in Covent Garden, required adult entertainment licences. Moreover, Angels had private rooms where rich, fat, ugly old men could be “entertained” by young women dressed in lingerie.

There was nothing charismatic about Stringfellow. He was an upmarket pimp. If he had been Jamaican, if he had employed young women who were a bit rough rather than pretty, if he had provided women to working class men rather than to rich businessmen and celebrities, he would not be lauded when he died.

He would have been jailed for pimping.

John Gilmore, Bishop Auckland