BOY George is at the centre of a row with a Newport club night promoter after the Eighties icon walked out of a DJ gig after just 25 minutes.

The former Culture Club frontman walked out of a Mutts Nuts event at the Zanzibar nightclub, Stow Hill, on bank holiday Monday last week.

Then, in his regular column in a national newspaper this week, he said the club was full of young kids who wanted to hear "familiar music and have conversations with me while I spun".

He described the place as "half-empty" and said they were not allowed drinks or a guest list. He said he left after being "badgered".

But the claims have angered Mutts Nuts promoter Mike Enea. He said they had let guests in at the front entrance despite not receiving a guest list. He added the DJ's agent had requested an open bar tab but had been given drinks vouchers instead.

Mr Enea said a couple of customers had asked for Boy George's autograph, but Mr Enea claimed they received short shrift from the star.

"He packed up his records after 25 minutes and walked out of the club," said Mr Enea.

The star, famed for songs like Karma Chameleon, had already been paid half of his £3,000 fee for a scheduled one-and-a-half- hour appearance, but the club refused to hand over the rest of the money.

A spokeswoman for Red Parrot, Boy George's DJ agency, said the club failed to provide "basic" requirements such as a guest list and complimentary drinks for the DJ.

"He left the club because he was persistently hassled for autographs and people kept asking him to play harder music, which is not his style."