PETER Beaumont-Gowling always craved the life of an international playboy.

Friends recall his early attempts to amass the fortune which would eventually fuel the cocaine and champagne lifestyle he yearned for - which began in unlikely circumstances.

Despite having an apparent lack of cash, he borrowed heavily to buy Perry's Nightclub, now Club 2K, in Beaumont Street, Darlington, in 1983 or 1984.

He then quickly set about creating an empire, converting an outbuilding on the site into the Buzz Bar, now known as Bacchus.

One friend, who asked not to be named, recalled: "He bought the club, but he didn't have very much money. He borrowed to buy it, and nobody is sure where the cash came from.

"He then set about converting the old building into Buzz Bar, and used a local small builder to do the work.

"But he failed to pay about £35,000 to the builder, using excuses that there was something wrong with the building work, when this was wrong.

"It was proved there was nothing wrong with the work, and he was ordered to pay. But the builder didn't get the rest of his money until Peter sold Perry's to Wessex Taverns in 1988, and made about £1m profit."

But during his years as owner of Perry's, Mr Beaumont-Gowling paid staff who worked for him handsomely.

At least one worker took home up to £1,000 a week - largesse which made him a popular boss.

His flamboyant activities soon attracted the attention of police, who kept a "close eye" on the club owner. But they were unable to find any evidence of wrong doing.

A former police officer, who served in the town during the 1980s, said: "We knew about his background and his reputation, and we kept a close eye on the club.

"But he was very rarely there, he was just the money behind the club. It was run by a manager most of the time. There was nothing for us to take action on."

In December 1988, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Mr Beaumont-Gowling, who also had links to the Joe Rigatoni chain of restaurants, which began in Hartlepool.

Earlier that June, he told police he was beaten up and threatened after an armed gang broke into his flat in Jesmond, Newcastle.

But following an investigation into his claim that £10,000 worth of jewellery was stolen, he was charged with trying to defraud his insurers.

The following year, he was reported to be living in luxury in Majorca and was due to open a plush new club on the island.

He was already well on the way to enjoying the playboy lifestyle, which ironically, would eventually lead to his violent death