Heather Mills' dad desperate for meeting

Apr 12, 2010, 12:03 GMT

Heather Mills' father has begged his estranged daughter to get back in touch with him.

Mark Mills has not spoken to the charity campaigner for 25 years and is desperate to be reunited with Heather as he fears he will die before he sees her again.

Disabled Mark - who recently spent his 68th birthday alone in Heather's childhood home - said: "I realised on my birthday I could die suddenly and I would not have seen any of my family for years. I have tried to trace them but not managed to reach them.

"I have never spoken about this before, but I want to see Heather before I die."

The former Army parachutist suffered a huge stroke 20 years ago, and while he recovered he still suffers from aphasia, a language disorder which affects his speech.

Mark is keen to see Heather - who has an older brother, Shane - but insists he doesn't want any of her cash, following her £24.3 million divorce settlement with ex-husband Sir Paul McCartney.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Now I am alone, I want more than anything to see my children again. I know Heather has been paid £24 million in her divorce settlement but that is not what this is about. I do not want a penny of her money. I just want her to get in touch.

"The stroke and aphasia mean I cannot even write a letter."

Mother-of-one Heather, 42, has previously spoken about her father in her autobiography, claiming he was abusive and forced her to shoplift - allegations Mark has denied.