An internet advert forgotten for three years has united a man with the family he never knew he had.

Engineering officer Chris Canning, 51, (pictured right)was adopted when he was just three weeks old and had no knowledge of his biological family.

He started his search three years ago after his adoptive parents died - but to no avail.

The search included an advert placed on a special website for helping to trace families. That, too, brought no response until Mr Canning received an e-mail out of the blue.

It was from a Sheffield woman who happened to be browsing through the website and said she had vital information.

She gave him details of his birth mother and when she was married. He also discovered he had a brother and sister - Michael De'ath (pictured left) and Stephanie Sidelnik.

Mr Canning, based at Chilwell Army Depot, Nottingham, said: "For years I thought about my real family but never traced them because I didn't want to upset my mother and father.

"They had done a wonderful job of bringing me up. But I always felt there was something missing because I was an only child.

"When they died a few years back I thought I would start looking and placed an ad on the internet but thought nothing of it after that until the other night." Mr Canning was told he was adopted when he was five

Chris as a boy

but for nearly 45 years could only wonder where his real family were. All he had was a worn and tattered adoption certificate.

His partner, Sheena Rowe, persuaded him to place the internet appeal along with his date of birth and real name - Anthony Patrick De'ath - and the name of his mother, Joan Alberta Mary De'ath (pictured right), and a contact number.

And last week, after a short telephone call and a 200-mile car journey, he was reunited with his brother and sister and found he had a whole family of aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.

Mr Canning added: "I rang my sister Stephanie and we hit it off straight away. She was adopted as a baby by a family friend and always knew she had a brother somewhere. They tried to find me but couldn't.

"I drove down and she ran out to meet me. We just hugged and there were a lot of tears, it was a wonderful moment. We went and met my brother and as soon as we all started talking a lot of things fell into place. I met lots of cousins and their families.