New sightings of legendary missing DJ Derek in Yate and Cribbs Causeway

This is the latest on the disappearance of DJ Derek, real name Derek Serpell Morris, who has been missing for over three weeks now. 

◘ One of Britain’s oldest DJs, Derek was last seen in the Commercial Rooms on Corn Street in the city centre on Friday 10 July. He had been drinking in the JD Wetherspoons pub with his friend Steve Noble, but left at about 11pm after complaining of headaches.

◘ Mr Noble, 60, told The Independent: “He looked OK, but he obviously didn’t feel great so said he was going to get the bus home. I said ‘OK, I’ll see you tomorrow’, as we were due to meet, but he never turned up. It’s like he has disappeared of the face of the earth. No one can understand it.”

◘ The last sighting of Derek in public has been released here.

◘ Police searching for him said yesterday they’ve had a suspected sighting of the 73-year-old. It has emerged he may have been seen by friends at Yate bus station on either 16 or 17 July at approximately midday.

◘ Officers say they’ve also had sightings of Derek at Cribbs Causeway and Thornbury and are looking into any potential link with bus routes in South Gloucestershire.

◘ Detective Inspector Chris Jay said: “Since Derek was reported missing on Thursday 23 July, we’ve conducted a thorough and wide-spread search investigation. This has involved detailed CCTV examinations, house to house inquiries and physical searches. We have also had a large number of reported sightings following our public appeal and we are working through all of these.”

◘ Police searched Mr Serpell-Morris’s basement flat for a third time late on 30 July, taking away some items, but are not giving the family further details.

◘ The DJ’s great-niece Jennifer Griffiths, and other members of the family have become increasingly critical of the manner in which police have handled the search, claiming that detectives became involved only once family members started giving media interviews. They were also told that officers would be joining them on the search on 30 July but no one appeared.

◘ Jennifer told The Independent: “I don’t know if we’ll get good news now, they searched his flat before but this sounded like a more intense search. I don’t know why. We just want some answers about what’s happened to Derek.”