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Tony Barrow - the man who coined the phrase “The Fab Four” for The Beatles - has died aged 80.

Mr Barrow had worked for the Beatles in the 1960s as a press officer having previously been a freelance record reviewer fo the Liverpool ECHO.

Today Beatles and Merseybeat expert Spencer Leigh tweeted “Just heard that TONY BARROW the Beatles press officer, the man who named them the Fab Four died last night. He was 80 last Wednesday.”

And Beatles author Mark Lewisohn tweeted: “Sad to report the death of Tony Barrow, three days after turning 80; PR man to the Beatles (1962–68) and others in an illustrious career.”

Tony Barrow was born in Crosby in 1936, educated at Merchat Taylors School and after university later went on to work for Decca reords.

He was subsequently recruited by Beatles manager Brian Epstein, and as well as working with the Fab Four as he dubbed them, promoted artists including Cilla Black and Gerry & the Pacemakers.

After the 1960s he went on to set up his own PR company representing a range of stars from the Kinks to the Bay City Rollers, before returning to writing and freelance journalism.