A FATHER whose daughter was killed by a club drug has attacked plans for a convicted international dealer to appear at Bolton's council-owned Albert Halls. Anti-drugs campaigners have also expressed disgust at plans for Howard Marks (left) to hold his one man show An Audience With Mr Nice in the town hall venue. Marks became reputedly the world's biggest cannabis dealer and one of America's most wanted men -- but he has since made a fortune from chronicling his exploits.

Publicity for the show quotes Loaded magazine describing it as: "Spiced with fascinating detail of his dealings with organisations as diverse as the Italian Mafia, the CIA, the PLO, the New York Mob and MI6, but it is also layered with enough hilarious imagery to rival any stand up comedian in the UK."

But individuals who have seen at first hand the horror of addiction have slammed the council for allowing the November 8 event they fear will "glamorise" the use of drugs -- a charge denied by the council.

And last night Patrick Murphy, whose 25-year-old daughter Andrea (above) died after taking the drug gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB), slammed Marks' forthcoming appearance. Mr Murphy, of Dunchurch Close, Lostock, said: "I think this man should be kicked out of the country. He shouldn't be allowed to talk about things like this.

"I can't understand the council allowing the use of their facilities. It is a disgrace."

Marks, 55, was said to be responsible at one point for 10 per cent of the world's cannabis distribution and was sentenced to 25 years in Terre Haute Penitentiary, one of America's toughest jails. The Oxford graduate was released after seven years and went on to write Mr Nice, a bestselling autobiography of his colourful career, followed by a series of sell-out spoken word tours. The founder of the Harbour Project, a Bolton group which has supported the families of drug users for the last five years, believes his popularity is part of a dangerous trend in society.

A spokeswoman who wanted to be known only as Susan, said: "This society admires people who make money and it doesn't really matter how they do it.

"It's not glamorous. It's just a nightmare. I don't think someone like Howard Marks should be encouraged to come to Bolton and I don't understand why the council has agreed to host something like that."

James Stevens, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Bolton West, was also highly critical.

He said: "I'm concerned the appearance of Howard Marks is lending a certain unwarranted glamour to the seedy world of drugs."

"I think Bolton Council should ask themselves whether they wish to be associated with a man of his character."

But a council spokesman defended the decision to allow the show to go ahead.

"When we were approached by the agents promoting Howard Marks we considered the issue very carefully and discussed it with other civic venues around the country," he said.

"From the information we received it was felt that the show did not glamorise that particular side of his life but was a look at the whole of his life so far. On that basis we accepted the booking."

Bolton South east MP Brian Iddon, who will be joining Marks in a debate about the decriminalisation of cannabis at Durham University next month, warned against judging him prematurely.

He said: "I've not seen his stage show but he doesn't glamorise drugs. He certainly doesn't glamorise harder drugs.

"He's a man of wide experience, a physicist who also writes travel articles for The Observer, who has a lot of stories to tell other than the obvious ones."

Marks, is now an active campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis.

He has courted controversy with incidents such as challenging officers at a London police station to arrest him as he smoked a joint outside, and handing out cannabis seeds to passers-by, including kids, in Norwich where he stood as a pro-legalisation candidate.