Amy Winehouse's mother thinks she is now a butterfly.

The British singer passed away last year aged 27, after an alcohol binge. Her mother Janis is still coming to terms with her death and likes to think Amy is still present on earth in some way.

"I'm pretty sure she has come back as a butterfly, because she would love the freedom of flying," she told Hello! magazine.

Janis and Amy's father Mitch launched a foundation in the singer's name after her passing, which aims to help disadvantaged young people.

Concentrating on that has made things easier for Janis, although she still struggles to hear the songs which made her daughter famous.

"We went to New York in April to launch the Amy Winehouse Foundation over there. We got on the plane at Heathrow and one of Amy's songs was playing, and I was inconsolable. Then, we bowled into a restaurant in New York and Back to Black was being played, and the emotions came again," she explained.

"There's a huge hole in my life - I used to speak to Amy every day. Sometimes I wake up sobbing."

Janis wears a ring which belonged to her daughter every day. She also has a necklace Amy was fond of when she was little. The singer used to chew on the piece of jewellery and Janis treasures it.