SIXTY seven years after a brother and sister were cruelly parted a tearful reunion has taken place thousands of miles across the ocean from their former County Durham home.

Patricia Lumley, 74, recognised her brother Brian Pratt, 68, as soon as she set eyes on him in hospital in Melbourne, Australia, despite the fact she had not seen him since he was 11 years old.

It was a meeting that has ended years of heartache and a painstaking search that has lasted nearly a lifetime.

Brian was among thousands of young 'orphans' shipped across to Australia in the 1940s and 50s by the Catholic Church who said they would be able to get a 'better start in life.'

Mrs Lumley, of Bishop Auckland, said: "In 1947 they started sending all the children over to Australia.

"My mother got a letter saying that Brian wanted to go because all of his friends were going too. Of course we now know that they had lied. He didn't want to go.''

Mrs Lumley, Brian and their sister Ann were taken into care because their mother was not married and the Catholic Church felt they would be better in care. They were aged eight, three and one respectively. When Mrs Lumley was 15 she and Ann returned to their mother's home after she had remarried and had another baby. Brian never came home.

Mrs Lumley, recalls the last time she saw Brian. She said: "I saved all my pocket money to visit my Auntie in Cockermouth and me and a cousin went to see Brian. I can still remember him clearly with his blond curly hair. He was exited because he had never had a visitor before.''

At first the siblings managed to write to each other but eventually by 1955 they had lost touch.

Mrs Lumley, said: "I had given up all hope of ever seeing him again.

"We had tried everything and we had had a letter from the Salvation Army in England saying they were closing the books on their search.''

But last year a letter arrived out of the blue from the Salvation Army in Australia saying that Brian had been found.

She said: " I phoned him and we talked and since then I phoned him once a month.''

Last month Mrs Lumley's two daughters Amanda and Janet paid to take their mother to Australia to see her brother.

Mrs Lumley said: "Unfortunately Brian fell and badly broke his arm, which is now infected.

"When we got to the hospital I recognised him straight away. He was the spitting image of Tony, one of my half brothers.

"We couldn't have a cuddle or anything or say what we wanted to say because his arm was wrapped up and there are people about. He was very poorly because he had just had an operation on his arm.

"We spent most of our time in hospital. It was lovely to see him again. I cannot thank the Salvation Army enough. I have given them a donation but I still don't feel like I have given enough."