A newspaper appeal has successfully brought two long-lost friends in touch with each other after more than 30 years apart.

The Wolverhampton Express and Star’s We’ll Meet Again column featured the plea of David Phillips trying to find his childhood friend David Fletcher.

Mr Phillips emigrated to Australia in 1970 after the pair had met at a children’s home in the 1960s but the two lost touch.

After a colleague of Mr Fletcher told him about the article, the Walsall council housing officer is now planning to fly out Australia at Christmas to finally catch up with Mr Phillips.

Mr Fletcher said: “It was luck that I became aware of the article because although I work in Walsall I actually now live in Telford.

“When I read it a whole load of memories of my youth came flooding back. David was like a brother – we were very close and did everything together.”

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