Sir Cliff Richard's mother dies after long battle with Alzheimer's

He was not with his mother when she died because he is currently on a visit to the U.S.

She died in the residential care home where she spent her final years.

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A spokeswoman for the star said: "Sir Cliff has been out of the country for some weeks. From what we understand, the death was quite sudden.

"He is now making plans to return to the UK for the funeral."

A statement on the star's website said: "We are sad to report that Cliff's mother, Dorothy, passed away on 16 October. She was 87."

The singer has previously spoken of his heartbreak over his mother's decline and admitted in an interview last year that he had already mourned her death.

"My mother knows nothing about political uproars, about terrorists, she does not know what time it is, does not know what month it is, or how bad the weather is outside.

"She is living, but what it does take away is your life. My mother does not have a life.

"I have talked with my sisters and said I personally felt as though I have already mourned my mum because the person we have with us is not the vibrant woman we all knew," Sir Cliff said.

The 67-year-old star became a patron of the Alzheimer's Research Trust in 2002 and has helped raise tens of thousands of pounds by fronting its campaigns.

The charity's chief executive, Rebecca Wood, said: "We would like to pass on our deepest sympathy to Sir Cliff and his family during this sad time.

"As a patron of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, Sir Cliff has done a great deal to raise awareness of Alzheimer's and is an inspiration to the thousands of families who are affected by this devastating disease.

"Sir Cliff, our thoughts and condolences are with you."

Dorothy was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1998.

She moved in with one of the singer's three sisters, Joan, but when it became clear she needed 24-hour professional care the family made the difficult decision to admit her to a home.

At first she was distraught, as Sir Cliff recalled: "When we left my mum at the home she used to say, 'Oh, don't leave me here.'

She was still compos mentis enough to be able to say that and it really hurt us."

But as her condition worsened she was often unable to recognise her children, and lost the ability to walk or talk.

Sir Cliff's father, Rodger, died in 1961 and Dorothy went on to marry Derek Bodkin. They later divorced.