Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell has revealed that his brother's schizophrenia inspired his campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues.

Mr Campbell, who is an ambassador for the Time to Change campaign, had previously spoken about his battle with depression.

However, he said he had not discussed his old brother Donald's schizophrenia because his mother feared it "could have made him even more vulnerable".

Donald, who was a piper at Glasgow University for 27 years, died last week aged 62.

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Mr Campbell, who worked as former Prime Minister Tony Blair's spin doctor from 1997 until 2003, wrote in his blog: "I never talked about Donald's illness in public mainly because our Mum didn't want me to. Not out of the shame and stigma that many people sadly still feel about mental illness.

"She was incredibly proud of him. It was more that... it could have made him even more vulnerable.

"Donald on the other hand was totally up for it. Like a lot of mentally ill people, when he was well he thought he ought to be famous. And when he was ill be thought he already was.

"In his prime, he saw Sean Connery as a suitable actor to play him in the movie of his life. More recently he wondered if George Clooney could do a Scottish accent."

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Mr Campbell also thanked 'the hundreds of people who sent messages, direct and on social media' following his brother's death.

Donald was originally diagnosed with the condition while he was serving in the Scots Guards in his early 20s.

Mr Campbell also talked about the pair's s shared love of piping, which was "a gift from our father who taught us when we were very young growing up in Yorkshire".

The pair performed together at a memorial service for former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy at Glasgow University in June last year.