Sixty years after being witnesses to a strangers' wedding two RAF servicemen have been reunited with the children of the war-time newlyweds.

In 1942, Bob Shimmell and Bill Mortin were wandering around Brighton on their day off when they were accosted outside the town hall by complete strangers who asked them to be witnesses to their wedding.

60 years on, Mr Shimmell travelled from his home in Canada last week to stay with his old friend and to meet Barry Wardell and his wife Ann for the first time at their home in Ashurst Close, Worthing.

With him, Mr Shimmell, 82, brought a black and white photograph of the late Albert Wardell and his beaming new wife Patricia, the only one ever taken of their wedding.

Over a few glasses of champagne, the ex-servicemen swapped stories with Mr Wardell about the day his parents tied the knot.

Patricia died in 1974 and Albert in 1989.

Mr Mortin, 81, said: "Bob and I were in the air force together, stationed in Thorny Island, and we went for a day out to Brighton, looking for some fun.

"We were wondering what to do when this couple came up to us and said the best man hadn't turned up so could we be witnesses at their wedding.

"After the register office we went to the Old Ship Hotel. They bought a bottle of champagne but hardly touched it so me and Bob drank it all.

"We were both 21 and it was the first time we had tasted it. We liked it very much.

"In fact we had to sleep it off in the cinema for a couple of hours afterwards.

"It was a lovely day and they were a lovely couple. She was very pretty with a big hat on and he was slightly older with a long coat."

After the war when he went back home to Ontario, Mr Shimmell lost touch with Mr Mortin, who now lives in Gloucester.

But two years ago he decided to track down not only his old pal but also the relatives of the couple who had smiled out from his photo album for so many years.

His first stop was the Where Are They Now? column in The Argus.

Mr Shimmell said: "I was finding out about my own family tree in Canada when I thought about the Wardells' children and whether they wondered who the two witnesses were to their parents' wedding.

"I wanted to get in touch and I just wish I hadn't left it so long. I had a couple of responses to the article in The Argus and was able to track their son down.

"I'm 82 now and I think this might be my last visit to England. But we'll all keep in touch now."

Mr Wardell, 59, who has three brothers who were unable to meet the visitors, was thrilled to hear about his parents' past.

His father, who was a farmer, was 29 when he married his 21-year-old bride. They met on Mr Wardell's farm, where Patricia was a land girl.

He said: "It was a lovely surprise to see the photo of Mum and Dad.

"They had never really spoken about their wedding so it's nice to find out about it now.

"We had a lovely evening with Bill and Bob and we will definitely keep in touch with them.

"They said during the meal that they felt like uncles to us or godfathers and they certainly seem part of the family."