Abandoned siblings make appeal for potential brother left in Newry to come forward

SIblings who were abandoned as children then brought to safety within the space of six years have made an appeal for a potential fourth sibling to come forward.

David McBride and Helen Ward first found out they were full brother and sister after appearing on ITV's Long Lost Family.

Later, they discovered that they also had another full brother - John Dowling.

All three now have a relationship and are in regular contact while living in the Republic of Ireland and Birmingham in England respectively.

Their uncommon family journey began in 1962 when David was found in a duffel bag in the front seat of a car in Dunmurry on the outskirts of Belfast.

Then, in 1968, a baby girl was found in a tartan duffel bag in Dundalk, Co Louth. That little girl was Helen Ward. Both were united in an episode of the hit ITV show. John Dowling was found in similar circumstances in phone box in 1965 and was recently brought together with his siblings. His daughter in Australia watched the programme, and believed her father had similar characteristics to her father in Ireland.

Now, more than 60 years after a baby boy was found in a phone box in Newry, Co Down, the siblings are making an appeal for the person they believe to be their brother, to make themselves know and come forward. They've also made an appeal to anyone who may know about the case of the little boy, to make themselves known.

He was found by a man called Thomas Wylie in May 1963 on Downshire Road. A picture in the Belfast Telegraph at the time shows the boy being held by a nurse called Ann Durkin.

"Why not just pick up the phone or email us, even if he just wants to chat about it," Helen told UTV.

"We're all very private people in our own right, we've great respect for each other and that would go exactly for him as well," she added.

If you have information about the young boy who was found in Newry in May 1963, get in contact with UTV via our email address: news@u.tv