The Walton Hop was Britains first discotheque. It was the brainchild of Deniz Corday, now 72, who came to England from Bermuda in 1956, hoping to realise a life-long ambition to become a film director.

After being involved with some film projects, the work dried up and he took a job at Waltons only record shop Birkheads, in Church Street.

The shop attracted teenagers from across the town who queued up to hear the latest rock n roll records. It was this that inspired Mr Corday to launch the Walton Hop.

He said: The shop was a great success. The BBC didnt play rock n roll so teenagers would crowd into the shop to hear the music. I used to tease them and say I will hire a hall and play all the latest releases and you wont have an excuse to hang around here anymore.

The idea was so popular that he held the first disco at The Playhouse, in Hurst Road, in June 1958 and charged 1s 6d (7.5p) to get in. He said: It was so successful that we had queues right into the centre of Walton. We had to close the doors within half an hour because it was getting so crowded.

With an age limit of 14 to 21, it was the only venue aimed at teenagers, and regularly attracted 600 customers per night. As no alcohol was served on the premises, the Hop was well regarded by parents, too.

The Hop came to an end in 1990. Mr Corday said: When the rave scene came, all the kids wanted to stay up all night which we couldnt do in the hall. Then pills crept into the rave culture,so the Hop started to dive. I lost £40,000 of my savings paying off debts.

Mr Corday is adamant that no paedophile ring operated at the Walton Hop, despite the fact that two of the three DJs who worked with him there now have convictions for sexual assault on boys.

He told the Comet there were regulations at the Hop specifically to prevent adults exploiting youngsters.

He fears that the publicity surrounding the jailing of King last week has cast a pall of suspicion over the Hop which was Mr Cordays life for 30 years and all those connected with it.

He is determined to prove its innocence, and points to the fact that charges against King which were linked to the Hop were dropped last week.

Mr Corday said: I am very worried and want to save the name of my disco. As a result of the unfortunate affair with Jonathan, I am on trial and the Walton Hop is on trial. So many people give different stories and dont realise the damage thats been done. I am facing some of the hell Jonathan faced.

Mr Corday said the Hop was well staffed and the security of youngsters was a top priority. He said: Ironically, we had a no adults on the dance floor rule because I was worried about paedophiles approaching girls.

We had age restrictions but we had a problem with 30-year-old men claiming they were younger, then chatting up young girls. We also had a problem with old men hanging around outside, offering girls lifts home. So we arranged for younger teenagers to stay inside until parents could pick them up. No paedophiles could have operated at the Hop. I would have known about it and not allowed it. I love children and would never let that happen.

Since the trial, Mr Corday says he lives in fear of being labelled a paedophile himself and having allegations made against him because of his association with King.

He said: I was enjoying my old age. Now I have to face the fact that at any time someone can come out of the woodwork and make allegations about me. As there were four of us, including Jonathan, who were close friends and were gay, it is easy for people to believe we may have been paedophiles.

It has ruined the rest of my life. I will never be able to relax. I am so vulnerable. I love children and used to be a swimming instructor. Now if they come up to me I have to tell them to keep away. It brings tears to my eyes.

Once I saw a toddler running towards the road outside my house but I didnt stop him because I was scared of what his mum would think. It was wrong because I was thinking of myself and not the safety of the child.

By.Alia Waheed