THE son of a war bride has told of his joy at meeting his long-lost American family after 50 years.

Michael Henry was in tears as he came face to face with his half sister and brother, who he did not even know he had, until last year.

Mr Henry, 55, met Diane Mancusi, 50, and Michael Pelucci, 48, in the US after his Wearside workmates helped him track them down through the Internet.

"It's marvellous," he said. "I feel like one of the family."

Mr Henry was born after American soldier Belfiore Pelucci, know as Bef, met and married Sunderland girl Patricia Tough during the Second World War.

Bef returned to Connecticut, after the war, unaware that his wife was pregnant.

When he found out, he arranged for her and their son to join him, but she was too embarrassed to go through the strict medical examinations for immigrants.

The couple were divorced two years later and both remarried.

Last year, after the death of his mother and stepfather, Mr Henry's colleagues at Hendon Community Care helped him to trace his American relatives.

He was upset to discover that Bef had died in 1975, but he found out he had a half-brother and sister.

The father-of-two made emotional phone calls to his siblings last October and found out that they did not even know he existed.

They got the full story from Bef's sister and arranged for their new-found step-brother and his son, also Michael, 20, to visit them in Stamford.

Now, his half-sister has even asked him to move to the US with his family.

His wife Denise, 46, daughter Nicola, 31, and Michael are delighted that Mr Henry has finally found his long-lost family.

He said: "It hasn't sunk in yet, It's marvellous."