AN iconic singer and performer acted like an “absolute gentleman” during what became a knock-out visit to a seaside town.

Sir Rod Stewart, 76, attended a charity boxing afternoon on Saturday at FC Clacton’s Austin Arena, in Rush Green Road, to watch his nephew’s fight.

The veteran hitmaker, famous for songs such as The First Cut Is The Deepest and Maggie May, arrived in a white, chauffeur driven Rolls-Royce.

During his two-hour visit he sat at a VIP table and happily spoke with fans and posed for pictures with delighted guests.

The event, hosted by Eastside Boxing Promotions, raised thousands of pounds for the CARA organisation, which supports survivors of rape and child abuse.

Gazette:

Chris Mallet, 48, runs the boxing company alongside his wife, Lorraine, daughter, Kourtney, and boxing coach Chris Murray.

He has hosted seven fundraising bouts in three years for different local charities and before Sir Rod, Chris welcomed West Ham midfielder Mark Noble to one of his shows.

Chris said: “I run these charity boxing events to raise money for local charities and on Saturday we put a massive charity boxing event together for CARA.

“Sir Rod Stewart attended and he was an absolute gentleman and was happy to talk with our guests and have pictures taken.

“Our guests respected that he was there to watch the event so he wasn’t bombarded.”

Eastside Boxing Promotions, which plans to hold more events in aid of charity in the future, regularly runs boxing classes for children of all backgrounds and abilities.

To find out more visit facebook.com/eastsideboxing1