MAY'S 24-HOUR GUARD FROM PSYCHO
24-hr guard as deranged man hunts Queen star
By Justin Penrose Crime Correspondent 13/05/2007

ROCK star Brian May was under 24-hour security watch last night after a deranged man announced he was setting off to murder him - then disappeared.

Police are hunting for a schizophrenic who left a letter behind at his home blaming the Queen guitarist for his illness.

In it the man - who we are not naming at the request of the police - said May was an "impostor" and that HE was the real rock star. He signed the letter "Brian May".

He also left disturbing poetry about wanting to kill 59-year-old May. The 28-year-old was last seen on May 2 by staff from the Highways Agency walking by the M42, close to his home in the West Midlands.

He said he was "going to London", where May lives with wife Anita Dobson.

Cops found the letter at the man's home after his worried father told them his son was missing.

May was told of its contents and on police advice brought in 24-hour security at his £2.5million London mansion.

Police have been told to treat any incident in the street as an emergency.

The man takes medication for his schizophrenia but does not have his drugs with him. One officer said: "This man is clearly not very well. When officers went into his home they found some quite disturbing material that suggested he wanted to kill Brian May. It was written like a contract to kill him."

The officer added: "Although he has no history of violence we cannot ignore threats like this."

A friend of May said: "It's a shock to know that there is somebody out there who wants to harm Brian. But he is now protected round the clock."

Many pop stars have been targeted by the mentally ill.

Geri Halliwell told cops she was being shadowed by a stalker last year, and George Michael had his house broken into and was plagued by e-mails from deranged Lucy Nowak.

The man police are looking for is white, with a pale complexion. He has long dark hair and a big scar on the back of his head.