Laura’s search for father on TV

The emotional story of a Fife woman reunited with her family was told on TV last night.

Laura Aker, 39, grew up in Kirkcaldy thinking her stepfather was her dad until she discovered a letter to her mum Susan from Andrew Olum Ekpang when she was 13.

The couple met while Nigerian Andrew underwent nautical training in Scotland, and courted until his visa ran out.

In the letter, he asked Susan to tell Laura that “daddy loves her” and that he would one day return to Scotland.

Laura said: “I remember thinking, who is my real dad?

“What happened to the promise?”

After her mum died a few years ago, Laura plucked up the courage to search.

Researchers for the ITV programme Long Lost Family set about trying to find Andrew but failed to locate him.

But they did manage to find Laura’s half-brother Ntem on Facebook.

Andrew collapsed the week he was due to fly to Scotland but he rallied and travelled with Ntem three weeks later.

After revealing Laura had 12 siblings, he explained that when he got back to Nigeria, he could not afford to return, and feared he would die before they met.

In the show, he says: “I thank God that my daughter had been looking for me.

“I have always been thinking about her.”

Laura says: “He has kept his promise, and that means the world to me.”