Mr. Andrew Mills

A devoted dad of five girls took his own life after years of battling severe depression.

Andrew Mills died in the early hours of Saturday, May 31, after stepping in front of a train approaching Tilehurst station.

The 47-year-old was already dead by the time paramedics arrived.

Now Mr Mills’ grieving daughter Shelley has paid tribute to her beloved dad, who loved punk music and was a keen angler.

Mr Mills married Miss Mills’ mum Mandy when he was 21 and she was 18 in 1981. They had five daughters, Tamara Radburn-Mills, 25, Shelley, 24, Eloise, 20, Adrianne, 18, and Roxanne, 16.

They also had four grandchildren, Mrs Radburn-Mills’ youngsters Bradley, seven, Reanne, five, and Julieanne, four, and Shelley’s daughter Nicole Valis, five.

Shelley, of Deveron Drive in Tilehurst, remembered her father as a lovely man who was plagued by depression.

She said: “He was suffering from depression and we know he was suicidal for about seven years.

“So it was not unexpected, but it is still a shock.

“Previously he had tried killing himself seven or eight times.

“He was on medication for the depression but did not take it before he died.”

Mr Mills lived with his wife, from whom he is now separated, in Thurso Close, Tilehurst, before he became depressed. Most recently he lived in Aston Court, off Bute Street, Southcote.

“He used to like to go fishing,” Shelley recalled. “He also liked spending time with his children and especially his grandchildren. We are a very close-knit family.”

Mr Mills was not employed because of his illness, but in the past had worked as a labourer. “He was a great dad and granddad,” Shelley said.

“He thought the world of his family and will be very sadly missed by all of us.”

Sadly Shelley, who found out about her dad’s death while on holiday in Rome, was the last family member to see him on Wednesday, May 21.

The family are yet to confirm arrangements for Mr Mills’ funeral.