THE father of Scots singer Lena Zavaroni has moved back to her childhood home on the Isle of Bute.

But Victor Zavaroni, who had moved south to be nearer his daughter, says he will always regret not returning to Rothesay sooner - and bringing tragic Lena with him.

The former child star, whose life was plagued by the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, died in 1999, aged 36. She weighed four stones.

Speaking from his home overlooking the Kyles of Bute, Victor, 61, said: “Lena would be pleased to see me back, but if only things had been different, she would have been here, too.

“I’ve been away 21 years, but feel particularly at peace here. It’s as if the years have all melted away.”

It was during a visit to the island at New Year that Victor and Christine, his second wife, decided the time was right to return to Rothesay.

He said: “We were out one day and saw the for sale sign outside this house, and I thought: ‘What a fantastic view.’

“It’s a really quiet spot and that’s one of the reasons I came back - it’s so quiet and peaceful.”

In a moving interview, Victor described the trauma of his daughter’s troubled life and agonising death.

He revealed how he hoped in vain that Lena would recover from anorexia and, ultimately, return to Rothesay to be among the people who loved her.

Victor said: “I think Rothesay is the kind of place where a lot of people do leave - but always come back.”

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