A MAN given up for adoption as a baby over 50 years ago has discovered two brothers he never knew existed.

David Turner - the former owner of the Toy Box and Top Line Sires in Ledbury - had always known he had been placed with adopted parents in Herefordshire by Croydon's Mission of Hope Children's Home in 1948.

But it wasn't until his children Philippa, Simon and Rosemary began to encourage him that he started to try and trace his roots.

After contacting adoption agencies and finding a family will he discovered the names of his natural mother, and a surviving aunt in Farnborough.

Finally, he met his two elder brothers - Dave and Peter - for the first time at a hotel in Leicestershire.

Mr Turner said: "Dave looked more like my twin. The likeness was unreal!

"The strange thing was, it was so natural. There was no pressure, and no odd feelings."

Chatting over some congratulatory champagne given to them by the hotel, Mr Turner, the father of two girls and a boy, was amazed to find that both Dave and the eldest brother Peter also have three children each - two boys and a girl!

All three brothers were given away by their mother Betty, with Peter going to an aunt in Norfolk, and David going to Farnborough to grandparents.

Mr Turner said: "In the last years of her life until her death in 1999, Betty had the joy of seeing her other two sons but she never indicated there was another brother - me - which surprised them."

He is looking forward to meeting his surviving aunts and now his newly-expanded family are looking forward to a get-together at Centre Parcs, Nottinghamshire.