A FATHER and daughter met up for the first time in nearly 24 years - thanks to an appeal in the Lancashire Telegraph.

Donna Simpson, 28, of Barnstaple, Devon, contacted the Telegraph last month as she searched for her father who lived with her in Darwen when she was born.

And only hours after the story appeared, her father, Michael Charles Williams, 51, who still lives in Darwen town, emailed her.

Donna, a legal secretary, phoned him back straight away.

And a month after they first made contact Donna made a trip to Darwen.

Donna, who has an eight-year-old son Brandon, said: "It was overwhelming and wonderful. We were both overjoyed.

"I last saw my dad when I was four-and-a-half years old and it is great to see him after so long.

"I would never have thought he was my dad if I passed him in the street.

"He's short and I'm tall but he said he would have recognised me.

"I do feel complete now. It is like that old cliche.

"He's everything I thought he was and more." Donna said her father was "overwhelmed and overjoyed" when he saw her.

She has travelled up to Darwen to find her dad before but was unsuccessful.

She wanted to make contact as doctors wanted to find out more about her family's medical history as she suffers from a severe form of Type 1 diabetes.

Donna added: "I have found out my medical family history from my dad and I have also learnt about things from the past which I never knew about.

"We are going to see each other as often as we can."

Donna also discovered she has a younger half-brother and a younger half-sister.