Tributes have been paid to one of Tyneside’s best known restaurateurs who has died at the age of 52.
Abdul Latif is believed to have suffered a heart attack in his sleep at home in Newcastle.
In 1977, Abdul opened Rupali restaurant in the city’s Bigg Market, and made the headlines by creating “the world’s hottest curry”.
“Curry Hell” was offered free to any diner who could finish it and the story was carried in numerous newspapers.
He also regularly featured on TV documentaries as cameras captured the hustle and bustle of the Bigg Market on a weekend.
Abdul came to Britain with his family from Bangladesh when he was 14 and was a supporter of numerous charities and promoter of racial equality.
He had been at the Rupali on Saturday night before returning to his home in Gosforth, where he died that night. He leaves six children and two grandchildren.
Son Kukon, 27, said: “He was a great man. He worked hard to bring up his six children and make sure they had a better life than him.”
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By Nigel Green
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