A MURDERER who tortured and killed gay men he picked up in a West Brompton pub has died in jail.

Colin Ireland, 57, murdered five men in the early 1990s and was given an indefinite life sentence in 1993. He died of natural causes in Wakefield Prison last week.

Former soldier Ireland picked up his victims in gay pubs in London, including the The Coleherne in Old Brompton Road, which was once popular with the gay community.

The pub has since closed and reopened as a gastro venue called The Pembroke.

Ireland would pose as a homosexual and befriend his victims before being invited to their homes where he would torture and kill them. He is said to have murdered his victims within a three month period in early 1993.

Known as the 'gay slayer', he murdered 45-year-old theatre director Peter Walker, 37-year-old librarian Christopher Dunn, 35-year-old Perry Bradley Ill, 33-year-old Andrew Collier and 41-year-old Emanual Spiteri.

He was caught when, having visited police to explain away his sighting on CCTV with Mr Spiteri, his fingerprint was subsequently matched to one found at the man's flat. He admitted all five murders.