Winehouse aunt hits out at press

The aunt of soul singer Amy Winehouse has hit out at the media for constantly hounding her troubled niece - and is pleading with the press to "give it a break".

The 'Rehab' singer's aunt Sue called into BBC radio's 5Live show following a discussion about the dangers of drugs, which pointed to Winehouse as an example.

She used her airtime to blast the press for targetting the singer while she is still trying to kick her drug demons.

Speaking to show host Phil Williams, she said, "Give it a break - stop printing all those nasty photos.

"Amy has the press knocking on her door at two o'clock, three o'clock in the morning, and some of the photos of Amy at her worst is when she's had no sleep and gone downstairs to say: 'Leave me alone, shut up, I want to go to sleep'.

"Please let her finish her rehabilitation - let her try to get off the stuff and then we'll have the Amy we all want.

"You keep bringing up that she's a teenage icon and what example is she setting. She's setting no example. She didn't want to be an example - all she wants to be is a singer and a songwriter.

"There are thousands of families going through the same tragic situation as us all over England and they're allowed to get on it quietly - and this is all we ask for Amy."

During the outburst, Sue also admitted that sometimes, even Winehouse's family hopes she gets handed a prison sentence - because they are convinced it is the only way she can curb her substance abuse.

She added: "Sometimes in our heart of hearts - and this is going to sound ever so bad - we wish she would be incarcerated and maybe that would help get her off the drugs."