THE family of a Worcester teenager whose memorial bench washed up on a North Devon beach has been found.

Scores of Worcester News readers inundated the newspaper with information to help trace Archie Thomas's family after his bench was discovered by Kathryn Challis on Saunton beach.

Archie's father Michael and sister Emily will now restore the bench and taking it back to its rightful place in Port Isaac, North Cornwall, on January 22 - the anniversary of his death.

The family are overwhelmed with the response after Ms Challis posted on Facebook and Grace Brown, from Barnstaple, uncovered the Worcester connection.

Others came forward to reveal Archie's father was curator of Avoncroft Museum, near Bromsgrove, and, after a phone call from a reporter, museum staff contacted Mr Thomas.

Archie's sister Emily, who now lives in London, said the family were extremely grateful to everyone who had helped to trace them.

"It's wonderful, it's amazing, it's such a happy story.

"We didn't even know the bench had gone missing and had been found.

"We are just so moved by the number of people who have been so helpful in tracing it and in particular to Kathryn and Grace.

"It's really moved me and my father who wants to come down to Port Isaac the weekend after next to thank people locally who have helped.

"I had been to visit his grave after Christmas and when I saw the bench it felt like it was almost like he was saying "Hey, don't forget about me".

"It's nice to have connected people who didn't know each other. People have got in touch who used to be close to the family and heard about it."

Archie passed away just before his 16th birthday in 1985 from a brain tumour he had been diagnosed with at the age of three.

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His bench was taken by the sea during a storm three weeks ago along with two other memorial benches which have not reappeared.

Archie went to Hawford Lodge, now King's Hawford, and Sunnyside School and his father only moved away from the area two years ago.

The family had a holiday home in the seaside town where Archie had made good friends with the butcher and fishermen, who would move the bench away from the water's edge.

Ms Thomas and her partner visited his grave in Worcestershire after Christmas and Archie's picture sits on her desk at home.

She wears her brother's watch after it turned up while she helped her father move from his home in Barbourne two years ago.

She remembered her younger brother as a "force of nature".

"Archie was very spirited young boy, always very outgoing and a very positive attitude and nature - everyone loved him.

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"He was very lovable and he was very trusting.

"He had the terrible diagnosis at three and would be fine but had times when it was really difficult and had bad headaches or was in hospital.

"At ten he was in hospital for a long stretch and was in a very bad way , it was a very difficult time but he pulled through.

"But he just didn't let it get on top of him, he never complained, he was an amazing example, I think.

"He was very brave.

"In Port Isaac, he used to chat to everyone - it was his favourite place.

"He was best friends with the older fishermen and butcher and used to stand and help in the shop.

"He loved playing guitar, singing and nature.

"I think about him all the time."

Ms Challis said she was pleased to know that Archie's family would be reunited with the bench.

She and Mrs Brown will meet with the family when the travel to Cornwall.