Amy Winehouse's brother expresses relief

Amy Winehouse's brother believes that the star is well on the road to recovery following her stint in rehab.

Alex Winehouse revealed his family's relief at her apparent recovery, saying his parents' fears for their daughter's health had made them both ill.

He said he visited his sister just weeks before she won five Grammys, when she was "clearly in the wake of a hit from the old crack pipe".

Alex added: "It was hard to take in that the barely communicative shell in front of us was my own flesh and blood.

"I should mention here that we all knew how bad her condition was. There was never any denial on the part of my parents, whose fears and anxiety over their only daughter had made them both ill."

The singer entered a London rehab clinic, emerging to prepare for her Grammy performance via satellite after she was denied a US visa. She won five awards, including record and song of the year for her autobiographical hit Rehab.

Mr Winehouse said her performance, widely considered her best in months, made the family "truly happy".

He said: "Spurs continue their resurgence, but most importantly of all very definite signs that Amy - the real Amy - is back among us. The hope, of course, is that this time it's for real."

The Grammy awards came after a successful year professionally for Winehouse, but amid considerable uncertainty about her wellbeing.

Her bizarre behaviour has been a concern to fans for some time but the arrest of her husband Blake Fielder-Civil appeared to push her to a new low.

Fielder-Civil was arrested after allegedly trying to bribe a pub barman he is accused of attacking and is in prison on remand.

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