Dream reunion for father and son Down Under thanks to Facebook and lucky win

The 25-year-old found his long-lost father – who now lives in Australia – by using Facebook but a face-to-face meeting looked impossible until he won a competition offering flights to anywhere in the world – and decided to go Down Under and make his dream reunion a reality.

“We had a massive hug as soon as we saw each other and he said ‘it’s great to see you,’ it was quite a moment. We just spent loads of time talking and catching up on what each other had been up to – we had a lot to tell each other. It was lovely meeting all his family as well.”

Mr Vardy, from Leeds, spent six months sifting through hundreds of profiles on Facebook to try and track his father, Alan Sheard.

“My mum and dad were childhood sweethearts. They met when they were 12 but split when she was pregnant and I never ever met my dad.

“My mum, Carol Hughes, raised me with my step-dad, Chris, but I was always told about my real dad.”

Mr Sheard, 43, said he had enjoyed showing his son typical Australian sights and introducing him to his young family. “It was fantastic to be brought back together.”