The controversial former manager of pop sensations the Bay City Rollers has died aged 70.

Tam Paton, who managed the 1970s heart-throbs at the height of their fame, died on Wednesday night in his Edinburgh home after reportedly suffering a heart attack.

He oversaw the group for 11 years as they enjoyed huge success in the UK and abroad.

"Rollermania" drew a massive teenage following and the Scottish group were famed for their distinctive tartan outfits and upbeat pop tunes such as Bye Bye Baby, Shang-a-Lang and Give a Little Love.

Paton, a former big band leader, nurtured their image as "the boys next door" and cultivated the myth that they preferred drinking milk to alcohol.

The band went their separate ways in 1978 and Paton was sacked. The former manager subsequently became a controversial figure.

He was accused in 2003 of trying to rape a member of the band while they were on tour at the height of their fame.

Guitarist Pat McGlynn claimed Paton attempted to rape him in an Australian hotel in 1977.

However, Paton was cleared after Lothian and Borders Police said there was insufficient evidence to take the allegation any further.

He was also fined in 2007 after a massive stash of cannabis was discovered in his mansion in the Gogarburn area of Edinburgh.

The band also claimed Paton swindled them out of millions.

Former frontman Les McKeown revealed in a magazine interview that the manager had persuaded him to sign a contract in the back of a car.

He claimed he lost out on much of the money the Rollers earned when Paton was in charge.

Paton was jailed for three years in 1982 for sex offences involving 10 teenage boys.

He had long-running heart problems and on one occasion collapsed after suffering a suspected angina attack as he waited to appear in court.

He had been due to appear at the High Court in Edinburgh in April, 2004, accused of supplying cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis resin and cannabis. He was later fined for the offence.

Paton became a property developer in Edinburgh following the demise of the Rollers.

He told a newspaper in 2007 that he had made funeral arrangements, saying that he wanted to be cremated to the sound of Bing Crosby singing That's The Way Life Is.

He also said his will had been drawn up, with cash earmarked for various animal charities and a children's hospice.

He was reportedly worth more than £5m.

His living arrangements also raised eyebrows. Paton, who was openly gay, was said to share his large house on the outskirts of Edinburgh with an entourage of young men.

The ambulance service said they attended at his house at around 8.45pm on Wednesday night, and a Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman confirmed the death.

Lothian and Borders Police were also called out.

A spokeswoman said: "Police were called to an address in Gogar Station Road in Edinburgh at around 9.30pm, where a 70-year-old man had died.

"There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."