Amy's 'new boyfriend' is a good influence

The step-father of the man rumoured to be Amy Winehouse's new boyfriend has revealed his son to be a 'positive influence'.

Alex Haines, from Gloucestershire, who works as an assistant to Winehouse's manager, is said to be dating the Rehab singer.

Speaking from his cottage in Aylburton, in the Forest of Dean, Roger Vine, said his son admired Winehouse as 'creative and clever', but had refused to confirm or deny their affair.

Haines was pictured leaving a nightspot with the troubled singer.

Mr Vine said: "When I called him about the photos he said that he had only been sent to pick her up. If you look at her in the pictures, it looks like she needs a bit of support. A lot of girls are very tactile in that state.

"If I am asked for a view, I believe that some people thought it might be very good for her image to be photographed with a clean-cut young man like Alex."

He added: "My son isn't a geek or anything, just clean-living. He's so far away from the image that's been painted of her - he doesn't drink much or do drugs. I do wonder if there isn't more behind it."

His comments come after the troubled singer received a police caution and said sorry for slapping a man during an early hours confrontation.

Winehouse was arrested on Friday at Holborn Police Station and spent the night in a cell before picking up the caution for common assault.

The flare-up took place in the early hours of Wednesday in Camden, north London.

Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil is currently in jail awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

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