An Auchinleck man who is searching for his brother after 40 years apart is appealing to locals for information on his whereabouts.

Peter Devlin, 80, has had no contact with his brother, Charles (Charlie) Devlin, for over three decades, with no inkling as to where he might be or what he might be doing.

To Peter’s knowledge, Charlie, born in 1953, has never officially been listed as a missing person, leaving him with limited avenues to explore as he looks to reconnect with his estranged brother.

The local man is now looking to see if the people of Auchinleck can shed any light on his brother’s whereabouts – or his demise.

Peter, pictured as a teenager, said: “There was 13 years difference between Charlie and me. I left home at 18 or 19 to join the Air Force.

“I served all over the world and my brother grew up while I was away. I came home now and again, but not very often, so I saw him about twice.

“Then there was a bit of a family splitting up, with my father and mother not getting on. Charlie took my mother’s side and left home, which I understand. Then he went to Aviemore to work as a chef.

“Charlie must’ve looked like me or vice versa, I was around a quarter of a stone heavier.

“One night when I came back to Auchinleck, I went up to the miner’s club. When I walked in the door, a guy said, ‘Charlie must’ve eaten all the pies up in Aviemore’”.

Peter, who served in the RAF before embarking on a career in the civil service, says locals have been helpful, but sadly nobody has come forward with anything concrete to lead him back to his long lost sibling.

He continued: “I’ve heard snippets, firstly that he had a girlfriend in Glasgow, then that he came back to Auchinleck.

“There have actually been four Charlie Devlins in Auchinleck that I’ve had messages about, some of whom have passed away, but none have been in his age group.

“Auchinleck is an ex-mining area so it’s a tight community with good people and a good spirit. I’ve had messages from people who knew the family from the early 60s. My father searched for him too but to no avail. I would just like a relationship with him.”

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