The family of missing DJ Derek believe they may have a new lead in their search.

The 73-year-old, who has played hundreds of gigs in Bristol over the years, has been missing for almost three months. The search has so far been focused in Thornbury where Derek’s bus pass was last used on July 11.

Derek’s niece Jennifer Griffiths, who first reported him missing, says she found a map at his home on Friday which could suggest he boarded a second bus after heading to Thornbury.

“We have found a map of South Gloucestershire in Derek’s home and he has focused on the area of Dursley, drawing the letter H in a circle on a road there,” she said. “We think this means hospital.”

She added: “We have figured out that after he got the bus to Thornbury that day he could have got the bus to Dursley just a few minutes later. This could explain why no one in Thornbury has seen Derek. If he had got on another bus then he would have only been stood at the bus stop for around four or five minutes. We now want to ask people in Dursley if they have seen Derek or saw him on the morning of July 11.

“We have passed this information to the police but they are no longer investigating the case. We don’t know whether he would have been visiting the hospital himself of maybe visiting a friend. We know that he hadn’t visited his GP since 2011 but he had been complaining of head pain the night before he got the bus to Thornbury.”

Derek, whose full name is Derek Serpell-Morris, is described as of average height and slim build with grey hair and glasses. He was last seen wearing a brown jacket, brown waistcoat and a black shirt.

Anyone with any information about Derek’s whereabouts is asked to contact the police, or his niece Jennifer via Twitter. [via Bristol Post]