An emotional reunion was on the cards for a Telford woman who met her sister for the first time after being told she had died soon after her birth.

Laurie Mansfield had always been told her sister Angela Abbott, whom she knew as Pippa, had died when she was only a few weeks old.

But thanks to Angela's friend Peter Owen, the sisters were reunited at Laurie's Shifnal home.

"I never thought I would live to see this day," said Angela talking to the Shropshire Star, "but I'm enjoying every minute of it."

Angela had been searching for Laurie for 35 years but she was constantly blocked by red tape. Her friend Peter helped her out and found Laurie after searching on the internet for just two weeks.

Olwyn and John Abbott adopted Angela when she was just six weeks old and she lived a very happy life in Rippon, Yorkshire.

Laurie, however, lived with her birth mother and had a traumatic childhood as her mother was constantly struggling to find them somewhere to live after the Second World War.

Angela has always known she was adopted and having received letters from her natural mother she understood why she was adopted.

Now, Angela who currently lives in Avonmouth, Bristol is looking forward to meeting the rest of her new family while sister Laurie is vowing never to let her go.

"I can't really explain what it's like having Angela back in my life but I know we will never lose each other again," she said.