Carlton Cole criticised for RIP tweet about disgraced former celebrity publicist Max Clifford: 'He stitched me up a few times but all is forgiven'

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Carlton Cole has received a Twitter backlash after marking the death of disgraced former celebrity publicist Max Clifford.

Clifford was serving an eight-year sentence at Littlehey Prison in Cambridgeshire for sex attacks carried out between 1977 and 1985 on four girls aged between 15 and 19.

The 74-year-old died on Sunday after collapsing in hospital.

On Sunday former West Ham and Chelsea footballer tweeted: 'Wow Max Clifford Gone #RIP'

The Tweet was posted in the early afternoon, hours after news broke of Clifford's death 

Cole's tweet came after disgraced former celebrity publicist Clifford died at the age of 74

Former Chelsea and West Ham footballer Cole responded to the news by tweeting: 'Wow Max Clifford Gone #RIP'.

Cole was immediately questioned over his decision to pay respect to a man who has such an unsavoury past.

A Twitter user wrote: 'Jesus man do some research before posting'.

Another added: 'Typical Twitter see someone's died stick a #Rip without a clue!'

One asked: 'Really Carlton??'

Cole replied: 'TBH he stitched me up a few times. But all is forgiven now'.

Former publicity agent Clifford once represented a woman who claimed she was raped by Cole, who was cleared in 2004 after insisting there had been consent.

When the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Cole would not be charged, Clifford made a statement saying: 'She was in floods of tears when I spoke to her. The whole family is very upset and quite shocked.'

Twitter user JamieT questioned Cole's decision to pay respect to a man who was serving an eight-year jail sentence for sex attacks carried out on four girls aged between 15 and 19

Cole — who was cleared by the CPS in 2004 after being accused raping a woman who was represented by Clifford — replied: 'TBH he stitched me up a few times. But all is forgiven now'