After years of searching Steven Redmonds is to finally get the chance to get to know his long-lost father - thanks to the Telegraph & Argus website.

Steven, 44, has never known his dad, although he saw him once, aged 12.

Since then the image has been stored firmly in his mind.

He said: "It's strange. I feel I've known him all my life, even though I've never seen him."

But now, thanks to an article which appeared in the T&A six years ago, Steven has been reunited with his half-sister Ricola, and is looking forward to meeting his dad, Barry Redmonds.

He said: "It goes back 25 years. That's how long I've been looking for my dad.

"I wanted to see where I came from, but years went by, the children were born, I was busy with work and college - time flies."

Steven's attempts to trace Mr Redmonds through the electoral roll and the telephone directory proved fruitless, but this week he made a breakthrough.

He said: "I wanted to get some local news so I typed in the T&A.

"I saw the link to the archive and I remembered years ago my friend had said there was someone called Redmonds looking for her dad. I'd said, no, it's someone else'. I'd forgotten all about it.

"I put his name Barry Redmonds in, and it came up."

Steven's search brought up the story of Ricola Redmonds, who in September 2000 was searching for Barry, having lost touch with him five years previously. Ricola, 32, of First Street, Low Moor, even appeared on television in her search for her father.

She finally contacted him through friends four years ago. She said: "It was amazing. It was like being a kid again. I loved it."

Ricola and Steven both hope he will be able to build a relationship with their father.

"There a lot of lost time to make up for," said Ricola. "Just because you grow up you don't stop wanting your parents' love."

Steven's children Steven, 13, and Jessica, 11, who have never known any of their grandparents, are also looking forward to the meeting.

"I've told the children about it and they're more excited than me," said Steven.

"Over the years I've told them their grandad's somewhere out there, we just didn't know where.

"When I look at my kids and see they've got me I'm happy for them.

"It's occupied a lot of my time over the years. I've never had a father figure in my life."

Steven, an electrician, of Martlett Drive, West Bowling, said he could not wait for the long-awaited reunion with his father, who is away but lives in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

"I just want to get on with it," he said. "There's been a lot of lost time."

  • The T&A's website can be found at www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk
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