The parents of a man who went missing for six years choked back the tears as they described the tense and emotional moment they were finally reunited.

Jim and Pauline Green were flown out to Spain after the 32-year-old was discovered there in a psychiatric unit earlier this month.

Clearly emotional, they described on ITV's This Morning today how they met up with the son who had disappeared from his Sittingbourne home years ago after wrongly being accused of rape.

Although the woman later retracted her claim, the ordeal set Matt off on a downward spiral, turning to drink and cannabis and then disappearing.

The couple heard dramatically this month how he had been found in Spain, but was now gravely ill, suffering from psychosis.

But, after flying over to the country, describing themselves as very nervous, they were told by local doctors their son didn't want to see them.

Clothes, photographs and other belongings were handed over to him, which seemed to open the door to a brief reconciliation.

Speaking on live TV today, Pauline said of the reunion: "He was walking towards us and I knew straight away it was Matt.

"He had a totally different appearance. I knew, after all these years, his appearance had changed, but I didn't expect that."

But, after the years of torment the words that sprung to her lips were "got him!".

Sadly Matt - who suffers from psychotic paranoia and might now be schizophrenic - refused a kiss from his mother, but he allowed his father to touch him briefly.

They believe he may have been living rough, spending life in an airport. He had been monitored for years, but he had isolated himself from other people and had barely spoken to anyone until the meeting.

The couple say they are now hoping the Spanish hospital will link up with health authorities in the UK to ensure he has the best treatment possible.