Barker said he developed a strong sense of wanting to know who his biological parents were.

He started by contacting social services who then directed him to the Salvation Army — the Christian movement.

The Salvation Army was successful in finding his adoption papers which gave some details about his mother.

He learnt that he had been born in Bristol and as a baby he had been unwell.

His mother had been single and was pressurised by hospital staff to give him up so he could be cared for by a baby and toddler service and be adopted.

For three and a half years he was with that service, and his mother visited once a week before he was adopted.

While he had no recollections of her, and said his adopted parents had been "brilliant", Barker felt robbed of memories of his biological mother.

"For me that meant no bedtime hugs, no bedtime stories, no Christmases, no birthdays," he said.

"No Mother's Days, no Father's Days, no going on holidays, no getting walked to school or her seeing school productions, anything like that.

"That can't be replaced."