STARS of the 80's pop scene are expected to attend the funeral of New Romantic icon Steve Strange in Porthcawl.

Icons of the ‘80s pop scene, including the Kemp brothers of Spandau Ballet and Boy George, are expected at the funeral to be held at All Saints Church, Porthcawl, on Thursday, March 12.

Close friend of the star who died of a heart attack in Egypt at the age of 55 on Thursday, February 12, Jayce Lewis outline that they are expecting lot of people at the service including many fans.

He said: "His death has taken us all by surprise and an even bigger surprise is the amount of media coverage.

"He was a very kind man who was loved and respected by a lot of people."

He explained that the service has been hard to arrange as they do not know just how many people are going to turn up.

There will be space allocated for his family, close friends and VIPs, and if there is room then some fans maybe able to get into the church to watch the service.

"His family wanted it to be a public service as we want it to be a celebration of his life as that is what he would have wanted," he added.

Newbridge-born Strange, 55, spent decades in the music business, forming the band Visage with Rusty Egan and Midge Ure, and helping to create the New Romantic movement in his Covent Garden club, Blitz.

His biggest hit, Fade To Grey, was Visage's second single, but their first release on a major label, Polydor.

It was released in November 1980, on the same day as the band's debut album, Visage. "Fade to Grey" charted around Europe in late 1980/early 1981, becoming a Top 10 hit in the UK, and a Top 5 hit in five countries as well as reaching no. 1 in Germany and Switzerland.

Strange helped create David Bowie's iconic Ashes To Ashes video, also starring in it - working with one of his musical heroes.

But following the band's successful first two albums, Visage and The Anvil, Strange became addicted to heroin after first trying the drug while modelling at a fashion show in Paris in 1985.

''It was the worst mistake that I ever made in my life,'' he said in 2000.

Strange's autobiography Blitzed! talked candidly about his battle with heroin addiction and coming to terms with his bisexuality.

He had been living in Porthcawl before his death.

Following the news of his death, Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon said: "I'm very sad to announce that our friend Steve Strange has died in Egypt. He was the leading edge of New Romantic. God Bless him."

And Billy Idol wrote on Twitter: "Very sad to hear of my friend Steve Strange passing, RIP mate."

Boy George, who worked as a cloakroom attendant at Blitz before his fame, said: "Heartbroken about the death of my friend Steve Strange. So bloody sad. Such a big part of my life!"

In a statement, Spandau Ballet described Strange as "a huge influence on the musical and cultural landscape of the Eighties".

Former bandmates Midge Ure and Rusty Egan said they were "devastated" to hear of the"untimely passing" of the man they described as "a major face of the 80s".