THEY have been separated by over four decades and thousands of miles, but a bizarre coincidence has led to a remarkable reunion in Boscombe.

The last time Carole Cooper saw her, Nicola Youseman was just 18 months old. Yesterday afternoon, 44 years later, they finally saw each other again.

Nicola was the daughter of Jan Barclay, who lived in the flat above Carole in Churchill Road.

She would often pop in to play with Carole's children. But before her second birthday, Nicola was taken into foster care before being adopted and whisked off to a new life in Canada.

Jan died at the age of 27 from an epileptic fit and Carole had no reason to think she would ever hear from Nicola again.

That was until last year. By coincidence, Carole's maiden name is also Barclay and when she started tracing her family on the internet, she saw Nicola's name.

"I hadn't thought about her in years, but as soon as I saw her name it all came rushing back," said Carole. "I still had a picture of her mother. As far as we know, it's the only picture of Jan in existence."

Carole had never tried to trace her real mum until last year, not wishing to upset her adoptive parents. But there had always been a longing to know more.

She said: "Being able to see what she looked like, hear what she was like, it feels like I've finally found the last piece of the jigsaw. It's a sense of completeness at last."

The trip has allowed Nicola to visit the adoption agency and find out more about her past.

"When I saw her coming up the drive, my heart was thumping,"said Carole. "I can't believe how much she looks like her mother."

Their correspondence also threw up an unexpected surprise - that Nicola has a half-brother, Steven Barclay, who would now be in his late 40s.

She is now desperate to find him as he does not show up through any of the normal channels.

  • If you have any information about Steven - this may no longer be his name - visit genesreunited.com, or phone the Echo newsdesk on 01202 411293.