Bruno Bronn, owner of one of the most popular gay nightclubs in Cape Town, was found dead in his home yesterday.

News of his death spread on social networking site Twitter in the afternoon.

According to Bronn's friend, Phillip King, his body was discovered yesterday morning.

"I'm a neighbour of his. I was driving and I saw a mortuary van there and I stopped.

"There are rumours, but it is difficult for me to release everything. At this stage his car and his laptop are missing," King said.

King, the previous owner of Bronx nightclub in Green Point, said he had known Bronn for 15 years.

Asked about Bronn's death, police spokesman Warrant Officer November Filander would say only that the body of a 50-year-old man had been found in his house by his domestic worker yesterday morning.

"He was found lying on his back on the floor, with his hands tied with tape in front of him.

"Marks were found around his neck, but the cause of his death is yet to be determined," said Filander.

"The identity of the deceased is being withheld as his next-of-kin must still be informed. It is also unconfirmed if anything was taken from the house.

"The motive for the murder is still unknown and no arrests have been made," he said.

According to the Bronx website, "Bruno Bronn has focused his efforts on 'polishing the jewel' that is Cape Town's longest-running gay venue."

The website quotes Bronn as saying: "Crowd control is probably our biggest challenge . We see ourselves as the anchor for the gay village - the 'home bar' where everyone comes, where the action starts - but never stops."

Bronn also owned the gay club Navigaytion in Green Point.