Bury St Edmunds: Russell Brand thrills his fans with visit to the town

COMIC, film star and TV celebrity Russell Brand is in Bury St Edmunds today and has thrilled his admirers who have managed to have their photograph taken with him.

He was seen in the town’s Marks & Spencer, in the Buttermarket, and also in the Abbey Gardens and is believed to be staying at the Angel Hotel, on Angel Hill.

He posed for pictures and was also seen hugging and chatting to friends and fans.

Mr Brand, is a patron of Focus 12, in Risbygate Street, an alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre, which helped him kick heroin and recently was featured in a documentary Russell Brand: Addiction to Recovery, which charted his journey from being a heroin addict into abstinence-based recovery.

It resulted in the charity receiving a donation of more than £100,000.

The documentary, which featured Chip Somers, the chief executive of Focus 12, who also joined the former Radio 2 presenter to discuss abstinence treatment on BBC2’s Newsnight programme, was aired on BBC3 last month.

Rehab bosses said within hours of the screening the charity, which has faced well documented financial difficulties, were inundated with message of support – including a package of support from Chevington Finance and Leasing worth £106,000 over the next four years.

Mr Brand was reluctant to say why he was in Bury today and Mr Somers is in a meeting in London this afternoon but it is believed he may be paying a visit to Focus 12.