A FATHER and son have been reunited, thanks to the Dover Mercury newspaper and its colleagues at the kmfm radio station.

Alan Calder, from Christchurch in New Zealand, contacted the paper's newsdesk on Monday to appeal for help in finding his son, who had not been heard of for 18 months after he was known to have been staying in Dover.

Mr Calder says his son, also named Alan, was believed to have travelled to Dover from France early in 2005, and while he was here he may have been admitted to hospital with appendicitis.

"We understand he was staying with some friends in Dover, but he might them have gone to Iraq to work on a security pipeline," said Mr Calder senior.

But since then, he had heard nothing.

The appeal was broadcast on kmfm on Monday, and within hours Mr Calder had heard from his son who happened to be back in Dover again.

"I asked my son why he had not been in contact, but he said he had been working on the basis that no news was good news," said Mr Calder.

He stressed: "I am really grateful to you for your help."