Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch has warned that his daughter could face “a slow and painful death” from the lung disease emphysema.

He said that although the chronic disease is in its early stages and is only affecting a small part of one lung, it could become “a lot more serious.”

Mitch was speaking to Sky News where he told people not to supply his daughter with any illicit substances as it could have dire consequences.

He said: "I want people to understand - even if they give her one cigarette, they're causing her harm.

"My biggest fear is that she would die," he said, "but she won't die of a drug overdose. It won't be that quick.

"She would die, unfortunately, of emphysema... We would be talking about a very slow and painful death, gasping for air."

"I would ask any people who would supply her with substances to think on that."

Mitch also revealed that his daughter will be taking a break from recording for the foreseeable future once she has finished her contractual agreements this summer.

"From 6 September, we're not going to be doing any more work. She has five contractual gigs between now and then that she has to do. Then she will be relaxing and writing."

(by Scott Colothan)