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Fears for missing London DJ
Last updated at 00:00am on 14.01.03Fears were growing today for a veteran DJ missing from his home for the past 11 days.
Mike Ahern was part of the original Radio 1 line-up and worked with pirate station Radio Caroline and London's Capital Gold.
He was last seen at his home in Ealing, west London, on January 3. He is believed to have taken his wallet with him but left his mobile phone and other belongings in the flat.
Ahern, 60, had been depressed in recent weeks and friends are growing increasingly concerned about his disappearance.
The Liverpool-born DJ began his career at Radio Caroline in 1964 and became one of its most popular presenters, receiving up to 1,000 fan letters a month.
In 1967 he joined Radio 1 for its launch and is included in the famous photograph of the station's DJs outside BBC headquarters, seated next to John Peel.
But he lasted for just one show, giving him the dubious record for the shortest-lived Radio 1 career.
He moved to work in Australia but returned in 1990 and spent about five years working for Capital Gold.
In recent years he has worked for stations in London and Cambridge.
Paul Easton, who was Ahern's producer at Capital Gold, said all of his friends were worried. "It is not like Mike to go wandering off and we just want to know he is safe. Obviously we are very concerned," he said.
"We worry that he has had an accident or been mugged, and we have been checking hospitals all over the country.
"All we want is for Mike to get in touch and let us know he's all right."
