By . Tania Steere . Cricket legend Ian Botham didn’t visit his dying father for the final six months of his life - because he didn’t want to see how dementia had ravaged him. The sport star’s dad, Les Botham, died aged 82 after suffering from Alzheimer’s for more than a decade. Sir Ian admitted last night that he had purposefully avoided going to the hospital where he was dying - and has advised his children not to either. Decline: Sir Ian Botham, pictured in 1987 with his father Les, avoided visiting him in hospital in his final months, as he couldn't recognise anyone. Sir Ian's father is spoke for the first time about his father's death in 2005 . Painful: Sir Ian recalled how his father - a keen sportsman - couldn't remember how to play gold while standing over the ball . He said: ‘I might sound brutal, but I’m just being honest. Unless you’ve watched a loved one being ravaged by this disease, you can’t understand how horrendous it is. I didn’t want my memory of him to be distorted by the illness that robbed him of himself.’ One in 14 Britons over the age of 65 and one in six people over 80 years of age now suffers from some form of dementia. The former cricketer, who has three children and ﬁve grandchildren, told the Daily Telegraph: ‘There was no point going to see him because he got no comfort from it; he didn’t know who he was never mind who I was.’ Sir Ian revealed the painful details of his father’s 2005 death from Alzheimer’s to support National Dementia Week, which ended today. Support: Sir Ian revealed the details of his father's last days as part of a dementia awareness campaign . About 800,000 people suffer from dementia in the UK and the figure is expected to rise to one million by 2021, according to the Alzheimer’s Society. In most cases the dementia is caused by Alzheimer’s, a progressive disease that damages the brain. Responding to growing concern, the Government has pledged to double funding for research into cure or effective treatment by 2025. A number of celebrities have spoken of the effects of the disease on their parents in an attempt to raise public understanding of dementia. The disease is notoriously hard to diagnose. Sir Ian said his father’s illness wasn’t immediately recognised by doctors. He only realised how serious his father’s condition was on the green at Yeovil Golf Club. ‘My dad seemed ﬁne, but as he stood over the ball, he turned to me and asked “What do I do now?” with genuine bafﬂement,’ he said. ‘The man taught me to play golf when I was three, but he had forgotten how to play it.’ Sir Ian added: ‘My dad would have been mortified if he had known what sort of humiliation lay ahead. ‘He would have thrown himself off a cliff rather than end up the way he did.’
Cricket legend said disease would have 'distorted' memories of Les Botham .
Sir Ian's father died aged 82 in 2005 after living with Alzheimer's for a decade .
Sportsman said his father would have been 'mortified' by his own decline .
He also told his children not to visit their grandfather in his final months .
Sir Ian spoke about disease for the first time to raise awareness of dementia .
By . Tania Steere . Cricket legend Ian Botham didn’t visit his dying father for the final six months of his life - because he didn’t want to see how dementia had ravaged him. The sport star’s dad, Les Botham, died aged 82 after suffering from Alzheimer’s for more than a decade. Sir Ian admitted last night that he had purposefully avoided going to the hospital where he was dying - and has advised his children not to either. Decline: Sir Ian Botham, pictured in 1987 with his father Les, avoided visiting him in hospital in his final months, as he couldn't recognise anyone. Sir Ian's father is spoke for the first time about his father's death in 2005 . Painful: Sir Ian recalled how his father - a keen sportsman - couldn't remember how to play gold while standing over the ball . He said: ‘I might sound brutal, but I’m just being honest. Unless you’ve watched a loved one being ravaged by this disease, you can’t understand how horrendous it is. I didn’t want my memory of him to be distorted by the illness that robbed him of himself.’ One in 14 Britons over the age of 65 and one in six people over 80 years of age now suffers from some form of dementia. The former cricketer, who has three children and ﬁve grandchildren, told the Daily Telegraph: ‘There was no point going to see him because he got no comfort from it; he didn’t know who he was never mind who I was.’ Sir Ian revealed the painful details of his father’s 2005 death from Alzheimer’s to support National Dementia Week, which ended today. Support: Sir Ian revealed the details of his father's last days as part of a dementia awareness campaign . About 800,000 people suffer from dementia in the UK and the figure is expected to rise to one million by 2021, according to the Alzheimer’s Society. In most cases the dementia is caused by Alzheimer’s, a progressive disease that damages the brain. Responding to growing concern, the Government has pledged to double funding for research into cure or effective treatment by 2025. A number of celebrities have spoken of the effects of the disease on their parents in an attempt to raise public understanding of dementia. The disease is notoriously hard to diagnose. Sir Ian said his father’s illness wasn’t immediately recognised by doctors. He only realised how serious his father’s condition was on the green at Yeovil Golf Club. ‘My dad seemed ﬁne, but as he stood over the ball, he turned to me and asked “What do I do now?” with genuine bafﬂement,’ he said. ‘The man taught me to play golf when I was three, but he had forgotten how to play it.’ Sir Ian added: ‘My dad would have been mortified if he had known what sort of humiliation lay ahead. ‘He would have thrown himself off a cliff rather than end up the way he did.’
By . Tania Steere . Cricket legend Ian Botham star’s dad, Les Botham, died aged 82 after suffering from Alzheimer’s for more than a he was dying - and has advised his children not hospital in his final months, as he couldn't recognise anyone. Sir Ian's father is spoke for the first time about his father's death in 2005 . public understanding of dementia. The disease is notoriously hard to diagnose. Sir Ian said his ‘My dad would have been mortified if he had known