Confidant who was paid to leave town

MICHAEL STACPOOLE, 61, first met Lord Archer in 1970 when Mr Archer, as he was then, was organising charity concerts. Mr Stacpoole's talent was for thinking up publicity wheezes. He takes credit for the "shepherd's pie and champagne" parties that made Lord Archer a London social figure.

Mr Stacpoole was a slighty sleazy figure and he and Mr Archer became drinking partners often at less than salubrious London watering holes. Mr Stacpoole was to become Mr Archer's fixer and confidant for more than 15 years.

He was the man entrusted to deliver an envelope of cash from Mr Archer to Monica Coghlan, which prompted the infamous libel trial. After the story broke Mr Stacpoole says that Mr Archer paid him pounds 24,000 to leave the country so he could not be called as a witness.

He went to Paris, only returning to support Spurs, and was financially supported by Mr Archer for some time. MrStacpoole later moved to Ostend, Belgium where he bought the lease of a nightclub called the Bunny Bar, moving to Thailand shortly after.