A flamboyant nightclub owner has been found stabbed to death at his Mayfair home, allegedly by his own son.
David West, 70, who purchased the title of 'Lord of the Manor of Hollesley' on eBay, suffered fatal injuries at his home in Ormond Yard in London's West End.
His 44-year-old son, also called David West, was charged with his murder on Saturday night and will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police and paramedics were called to his three-bed home in upmarket Ormond Yard, which is just off Jermyn Street at around 6pm on Friday night.
His son was arrested nearby on suspicion of murder and taken into custody at a Central London police station where he was later charged.
Police officers were last night waiting for formal identification of the dead man and have opened a murder investigation.
A post-mortem revealed that a single stab wound was the cause of death.
The pensioner, originally from Romford, Essex, started his career as a market trader in the East End of London before building a family tobacco business in Belgium.
In the 1980s, Mr West senior founded a wholesale business on a double-decker bus in Calais, selling cheap alcohol and cigarettes and later found permanent premises setting up 'EastEnders'.
David West, pictured in a pink suit with his Bentley, owned a popular Mayfair nightclub and restaurant
The pensioner, originally from Romford, Essex, started his career as a market trader in the East End of London
The business is now part of the largest British owned cash and carry group in Europe and has its own house wine label called 'The Dogs B*******'.
He owned Mayfair night club HeyJo and the Abracadabra restaurant, both located on Jermyn Street, and was renowned for his brightly coloured suits.
It is believed that the pensioner also owned a talent management firm and gentleman's club Mandy's - which claims to be the oldest in London.
He was also the owner of 4 Star Hostel, a guesthouse for women near Piccadilly Circus.
In 2007, he hired Cherie Blair, who is a barrister, to challenge the smoking ban in public places - a flagship policy of then Prime Minister Tony Blair's government.
Mr West senior claimed the ban was a breach of the human rights of his guests and staff.
The area around Jermyn Street has been one of the most fashionable parts of London since the 18th Century.
Because of the affluence of the area, HeyJo and Abracadabra were often frequented by Russian businessmen, with the restaurant offering a Russian menu.
Traces of polonium-210 were found in Hey Jo in 2007, months after two former KGB agents wanted for the unrelated murder of Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko visited the nightclub.
The Jermyn Street area is now known for its tailors and fashion shops, which include Thomas Pink and Hackett.
Properties are worth an average of £2.5million.
Mr West lived in a three-bedroom house in Ormond Yard, where police and paramedics were called on Friday
Jermyn Street in the St James' area of the city is known for its tailors and fashion shops including Hackett
Source: The Mail
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