News / News Wire

Family ‘losing hope’ in search for DJ Derek

By Louis Emanuel  Tuesday Aug 4, 2015

The family of missing DJ Derek said they are “losing hope” that the 73-year-old is still alive as police released fresh CCTV showing his last known movements three weeks ago.

At a press conference on Tuesday police appealed directly to the missing DJ as they released CCTV showing him leaving the Criterion on Ashley Road on the night he went missing.

Acting detective inspector Clare Hargreaves said the force was acting on the premise that the DJ is still alive. She added: “Derek, if you are watching then please come and tell us you are safe.”

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DJ Derek was last seen at the Criterion on Ashley Road

But great niece Jennifer Griffiths, sitting alongside Derek’s niece Paula Marks and twin sister Shirley Griffiths, said: “Personally I’m not [hopeful]. I don’t think he’s alive.

“We would have thought he would have got in contact with us by now. Everything suggests that he’s gone. I’m losing hope at the moment.”

In the new CCTV Derek Morris can be seen entering the Criterion on Ashley Road at 11.38pm on July 10 and exiting the pub at 12.13am.

In the video he heads back down Ashley Road towards Stokes Croft in the direction of his home.

The CCTV is the last confirmed sighting of the missing DJ. However, police announced on Monday they were “refocusing” their search to Yate after a “credible” sighting at the bus station almost week later.

The Find DJ Derek campaign launched a fundraising appeal on Monday.

Police are urging anyone with information to come forward forward immediately and call 101 quoting reference number MP3388/15.

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