A FATHER said he thought his heart would burst with joy when he saw his daughter for the first time in 30 years.

Paul Wolstenholme, from Bicester, and his children Toni and Daniel have been searching for each other for more than a quarter of a century.

Then three weeks ago Daniel, 37, who lives in Germany, finally made contact with his dad and the three family members made plans to meet in August.

But Toni, 39, could not wait to see her dad, leaving her home in Cornwall to visit him in Bicester.

Seeing his daughter after 30 years, Mr Wolstenholme, 60, said: “My heart burst, it was gut-wrenching.

“She just burst into tears. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world to have her back. I have grandchildren, and a daughter and a son-in-law. It’s just so fantastic.

The family lived in Germany while Mr Wolstenholme was serving in the British army.

After he and his wife separated, Mr Wolstenholme said he would only see Toni on a Sunday.

And when Mr Wolstenholme moved back to England it was agreed Toni, aged about five or six, would go and live with him.

But a series of disagreements between Mr Wolstenholme and his ex-wife meant after about 18 months, his daughter moved back to Germany.

Mr Wolstenholme said the last time he saw Toni was in 1985 and after their phone numbers were changed, he lost contact with his children completely.

He added: “We lost contact and then they were both put into a home, I’m not sure how long they were there for, but we lost contact.

“But I knew that if I kept trying, some day they would turn up at the front door.”

Toni, whose surname is now Daruvalla, added: “I lived in Bicester for a bit with my dad and my grandparents.

“It was the most amazing time in my life. Then I moved back to Germany. Then my dad was gone. I had no clue what had happened but I always knew my dad loved me and always knew he would be looking for me.”

Toni and her brother contacted Jeremy Kyle for help and trawled Facebook before Daniel came across Mr Wolstenholme’s stepson. Toni spoke to her dad over the phone and Daniel, who still lives in Germany, made contact.

The reunion will be complete in August, with Mr Wolstenholme and his wife Sue hosting everyone under their own roof.