DJ Derek search focuses on mysterious bus journeys

He made unexplained visits to Thornbury

The friends and family of the legendary DJ Derek have begun to fear that he took his own life due to health worries.

After disappearing on the 11th of July, Derek Serpell-Morris has not been seen or heard from and a widely publicised search campaign has so far been fruitless.

However, recent police research into Derek’s movements have proved to be useful as his travel card data revealed that the 73 year old had been making unexplained bus journeys to Thornbury.

This choice of travel destination 14 miles away from Bristol has baffled friends and family who know of no connection between the DJ and the small town in Southern Gloucestershire.

BristolÃs famous DJ Derek who has been missing for 3 weeks. See SWNS story SWDEREK; Bristol legend Derek Morris à aka DJ Derek à has been missing for three weeks, his family say. Members of the 73-year-old's family have contacted the Post to say they are extremely worried about Derek, who is well known in the city and has played hundreds of sets and worked with high profile artists over the years. Derek's niece Jennifer says her family has not seen or heard from her uncle in three weeks, and they have informed the police he is missing. Posting on Derek's Facebook page, she said: "Has anyone seen Derek in the last three weeks? This is urgent please let us know. Police are now informed and he is being treated as a missing person."

Suspicions have arisen that he may have collapsed or even taken his own life in a remote area around the town although searches into the rural areas around the town have found nothing.

Fears about whether the DJ’s disappearance can be linked to a suicide have been fuelled by the words of his twin sister Shirley Griffiths.

She claimed the ageing DJ had told her weeks before: “If I become ill, gaga, not with it, I don’t want family or authorities to have to care for me”.

“My biggest scare”, said Mrs Griffiths “is that we might never find him”.

Detective Inspector Matthew Iddon has said that: “We have got to hope for the best but have also got to prepare for the worst”.

For now the search continues for this legendary Bristolian figure and hope must be kept alive.