A millionaire businessman who was close to the stars of reality TV series TOWIE and partied with the likes of Mohamed Al Fayed has been shot dead outside his luxury Costa del Sol home.

Marco Yaqout was shot around 12 times as he drove his trademark UK-plated Bentley into his garage today.

Police believe the killer was hiding behind a wheelie bin outside Marco’s property in upmarket San Pedro de Alcantara, near Marbella.

The gruesome murder is the latest in a string of violent incidents on the Costa del Sol in recent months.

Two Brits have been gunned in the region in recent weeks.

But Marco, a 49-year-old Spaniard of Moroccan origin, is understood to have owned five well-known nightspots in plush Puerto Banus, including the TOWIE favourite TIBU and Linekers.
Marco Yaqout's killer was supposedly waiting for him outside his villa (
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SOLARPIX.COM)
Marco Yaqout, 49, was shot dead outside his own home (
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SOLARPIX.COM)

It's believed the businessman owned the former with two partners. Mark Wright hosted a boat party and club night at TIBU in 2014 and since then, the TOWIE gang are often seen in the trendy venue.

Professor Green has also played at the nightspot, which bills itself on its website as "by far the most exciting nightspot to go clubbing."

Lina Hodgkins, star of ITVBe’s LifeOnMarbs and now a marketing manager at Linekers Group in Puerto Banus which Gary Lineker’s brother Wayne used to be heavily involved in, today posted a picture of her on social media alongside the dead man which said: "The phone call at 5am this morning will stay with me for ever.
TIBU in Puerto Banus is loved by TOWIE stars (
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Tributes have been made to the popular businessman (
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SOLARPIX.COM)

"My boss of 14 years Marco was killed. We argued like husband and wife over the years.

"Today remembering the good times of which there were many. Heartfelt sympathy to all the family. God bless."

Murder police have not made any arrests at this stage.

Marco, whose first real name, is understood to be Abdelhadi, was reportedly driving home in his black car when he was killed at 3am.
The latest gruesome murder happened outside the victim's villa in San Pedro de Alcantara near Marbella (
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SOLARPIX.COM)
Police are now investigating the gunning on the residential street (
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SOLARPIX.COM)

Video footage taken at the scene showed his left-hand-drive motor riddled with bullets.

One of his friends, who asked not to be named, said: "He was one of three business partners known as the men who ran most of Banus.

"They were key players in the Banus nightlife scene.

"Everyone knew Marco. That’s why people have been stunned by this killing because it takes it to another level.

"If it is an escalation of what’s been going on and someone is having a crack at the nightclub scene, then it’s very worrying."