TREVOR Dowle was cruelly separated from his mother when he was just three-years-old.

For more than 60 years, his only memento of her has been a faded, black and white photograph which he carried with him everywhere.

He went on to forge a good career and have a loving family, but not knowing her left a huge gap in his life.

Now an extraordinary turn of events have led to the pair being emotionally re-united.

It began when his grandson Tom began researching the family tree and his daughter-in-law, Anna, registered with the www.genesreunited.co.uk website.

Before long they had discovered Trevor’s mother Christobel was still alive, aged 83 and living in Wales.

Trevor, a coastguard of Field Avenue, Canterbury, admits it was a bit of a eureka moment when his family exclaimed: “Dad, we’ve think we’ve found her!”

Anxious as to how to proceed, Trevor wrote her a letter setting out his circumstances and enclosing a copy of his treasured photo.

Two days later, Jean, the step-sister he had also never met, called.

His mother was staying with Jean in Lincoln and they invited Trevor to come and see them.

He said: “I was very nervous but also excited on the drive up and couldn’t get there quick enough.

“It was a baking hot day and my mum was sat in the garden. We gave each other a hug. We were both very emotional but utterly overjoyed and it was wonderful.”

Trevor still has puzzling and unhappy memories of being separated from her when he was a child.

There were marital difficulties between his parents and he was taken away by his father who later remarried.

He said: “It must have been devastating for my mum and I know she tried to fight to see me. But she was still young and my dad’s family was very protective.”

Trevor joined the Navy as soon as he could and was based at Portsmouth where he met his wife, Toni.

“Now mum and I have a lot of catching up to do. I was with her at Christmas and we talk several times a week on the phone. Now she is hoping to come down and see me in Canterbury next month.”