FIFTY years ago Alan Wray was separated from his mother. Now he has returned to York to find her.

The 51-year-old has just discovered his mother's name - Josephine Carmichael - and he has managed to pick up the first copy of his birth certificate he has ever seen.

Now he wants to complete the jigsaw and meet his mother for the first time in half a century.

Mr Wray, who lives in Derbyshire, said he wanted to find out about his past and recreate his history.

He said: "I suppose it's just part of my life that I know nothing about.

"I've got two children of my own, my daughter and my son, and they want to know what happened as well.

"I've got no photographs of my mum or of my dad, nothing from my past, and I just want to find my mother.

"She may not want to speak to me, and I would respect that decision, but I have to try."

Mr Wray was born in Acomb on June 4, 1953. He lived with his mother, and his father Alex Wray, for a short time, but believes that he was taken away by his father when he was about two years old.

He is not sure why the separation occurred.

Mr Wray was later adopted by his father's fiance Mary, but his father died in 1961, before they married.

He then moved from York with his adoptive mother Mary and her new husband Raymond Dyer.

Mr Wray said he had tried for years to find out details of his family, but his adoptive family were reluctant to help because they were trying to protect him and his birth mother.

However, his adoptive mother finally told him his mother's name last week, so he came straight to York to find out as much as he could.

Mr Wray said: "I still think of Mary as my mother. She's been through all the hard times with me and I wouldn't say I was an easy child to fetch up.

"But there is so much I don't know."

If anyone has any information about Josephine Carmichael, who may have lived in Newton Terrace, York, or about Alex Wray, they can phone Alan Wray on 01283 510712.

Updated: 10:31 Tuesday, April 05, 2005