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‘Andy needs to get help’

Diane Leach
12/ 3/2008

JUST four days after returning to his mother in Whitworth, troubled DJ Andy Kershaw has packed his bags and gone.

In an exclusive interview with the Rochdale Observer, Kershaw’s mother Eileen told how he had left.

An Isle of Man judge had advised the 48-year-old, who had been jailed for harassing his ex-partner, to return to Rochdale to live with his mother.

But he left suddenly on Sunday night, and now Mrs Kershaw believes he is in Carlisle.

The former mayor of Whitworth had welcomed her son back home in a last-ditch attempt to sort out his life. But she said the last she saw of her son, he was phoning for a taxi and heading for the train station.

Kershaw’s stepfather, Ron Pickup, said the former BBC Radio presenter now needs "professional help".

He said: "I hope he gets control of himself and realises that before returning to the Isle of Man, he has a lot of problems to sort out."

Mr Pickup added: "He was still upset from the break-up of his latest relationship and that affected his behaviour."

Mrs Kershaw said she was "disappointed" he had left so soon. "He seemed to be settling in, but then said he wanted to meet up with some of his old friends," she said.

Sparing him a further jail sentence, the judge had said he was giving him ‘one last chance,’ but it was not a condition of his release that he live with his mother.

Two days later he arrived at the Whitworth home of his mother and her husband Mr Pickup.

Still exhausted from the last 10 days’ events, Mrs Kershaw said: "Andrew flew home on Thursday but I didn’t get back until Saturday as I had my car with me and was bringing back his dog, Buster.

"I hope he can get into a routine and go back to producing his music shows."

Mr Pickup added: "We filled the fridge for him and took him out for a couple of meals to the local Indian restaurant, which he really enjoyed.

Kershaw had been released from prison only days before his arrival in Rochdale after serving six weeks for repeatedly harrassing his ex-partner Juliette Banner.

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