Dead Sex Pistol creator Malcolm McLaren called Croydon a rite of passage in his life.

The prince of punk, who died at the age of 64 last Thursday from cancer related to asbestos exposure, studied at Croydon College of Art during the 60s.

The last of his sketches from that period is on display at the Museum gallery in the Scene Unseen exhibition.

He said: “Croydon will always be remembered as a rite of passage of my life – one night layovers, in the arms of someone, the constant roaming at night through its market streets and thereafter navigating those deep leafy suburbs into the countryside beyond, spending hours looking out of Croydon’s art school windows, observing and then struggling to come to terms with these giant triffids of buildings that rise up and spread themselves all along East Croydon’s path, using charcoal pencil and anything close to hand. I drew and drew and drew.

“The drawing the collection has, is all that remains. The rest must have fallen into the hands of long lost girlfriends somewhere in Croydon.”

While he was in the borough, he befriended artist Jamie Reid who would go on to design many of the Sex Pistols’ singles and album covers.

His fond memories of the college may not have been reciprocated, according to the New York Times, the college tried to have the self-styled anarchist transferred to a mental institution while he was there.