George Springett found his son after searching for five years

A widower who traced the son he gave up for adoption has said the experience of speaking to him was "indescribable".

It took George Springett five years to find his child, given away soon after his birth in 1967 and now living in Australia with his adoptive family.

He and his wife had been advised to give their son up for adoption after she suffered a nervous breakdown.

Only a few weeks ago Mr Springett, now a widower and with no other children, spoke to David for the first time.

I couldn't move, I couldn't say anything, I just told him 'to hear your voice, lad, you've made me one of the happiest men alive' George Springett One woman's story of adoption

"It is indescribable - a lump comes in my throat," he said.

"I had a telephone call from David and he was saying 'is that you George?'.

"He said 'this is David' - I said 'David who?' and he said 'David from Australia'.

"I couldn't move, I couldn't say anything, I just told him 'to hear your voice, lad, you've made me one of the happiest men alive'."

Mr Springett had to go through several different agencies before finding his son, who he and his wife had named Duncan.

'More like his mother'

David was eventually traced through Ministry of Defence records because his adoptive father had been in the military.

Mr Springett received a letter confirming David was now in Australia and had also been trying to contact him, together with photographs of the son he had not seen for more than 30 years.

"The picture of David here - he's more like his mother than he is me," said Mr Springett.

We used to think about him at least once a week, wonder where he was, what he was doing George Springett New rules for tracing relatives

"But some characteristics he has I can see in myself, for instance the high forehead and also the way he stands."

Mr Springett said it had been a joint decision to give their son up for adoption.

"Owing to my wife's ill health at the time, the top psychiatrist suggested that he should be adopted.

"We both agreed so long as he went to a decent home.

"At the time we had to promise that we wouldn't try to get in contact to avoid upsetting the families and so on.

"But I think it would not be exaggerating if I said we used to think about him at least once a week, wonder where he was, what he was doing."

Mr Springett now hopes to leave the cottage he moved into on the day of his son's birth, 26 November 1967, to David in his will.