Cavern club removes Glitter brick

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A brick bearing the name of disgraced glam rocker Gary Glitter was removed from Liverpool's famous Cavern Club and replaced with a plaque.

The convicted paedophile's name was featured among the hundreds of acts who have played the Matthew Street club, made famous by The Beatles.

Owner Bill Heckle, 52, scrubbed the 1970s star out of the club's history on Thursday after a local media campaign.

But he has erected a plaque addressing the brick's removal in its place.

He said: "I used to be a history teacher and this is like Stalinism, revisionism."

Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, served nearly three years in a Vietnam jail for sex offences against young girls.

The 63-year-old has now returned to Britain and is on the sex offenders register.

We've put up a plaque saying two other performers played the Cavern Club between 1957 and 1973 and they had their bricks removed, they were Gary Glitter and Jonathan King Bill Heckle, club owner

For years Glitter's name was in the company of performers such as Chuck Berry, The Who and the Rolling Stones, written on one of the wall's 1,801 bricks.

The 1970s star's name was chipped off on Thursday and replaced by Merseyside musician Pete Wylie.

Mr Heckle said: "We actually thought it had been done nine years ago when Glitter was done and we removed all the merchandise.

"But it is not up to us to censor the wall - it is a historical document.

"When the brick was made a big issue of, we thought it would attract attention and end up being vandalised.

"We spoke to a victim of paedophile crime and she said unequivocally 'take it out'.

"I was still fighting the corner but ended up taking it out."

Mr Heckle revealed the name of disgraced record producer Jonathan King, who was also jailed for sex offences, was also removed.

He added: "We've put up a plaque saying two other performers played the Cavern Club between 1957 and 1973 and they had their bricks removed, they were Gary Glitter and Jonathan King.

"The situation has been blown out of all proportion. Yes, Glitter committed heinous crimes but this is rock and roll.

"Chuck Berry was in trouble as were lots of the stars."