THE WEDDING party in the mystery photograph have been identified. This snap had been lost for 15 years until last month it was discovered on the floor of a high street shop, and placed in a lost property box.

The picture was something of an enigma, until a brother and sister from Southampton recognised a few familiar faces from nearly 60 years ago.

Len Barker, 75, of Shirley and his sister Patricia Baker, 74, of Millbrook were stunned when they saw a picture of themselves in the Heritage pages of last week's Daily Echo.

The mystery photograph is of their sister's wedding in 1945, yet neither of them knew where it came from, or how it ended up in the lost property of a high street shop.

"My brother phoned me and said 'have you seen the Echo, because we're in it?" said Mrs Baker, who has her own copy of the picture at home.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw it, I recognised it straight away because I was the chief bridesmaid."

The picture was found in the lost property box of Argos in Bargate, Southampton.

Mr Barker said he first recognised his Dad in the picture and then realised that he was also there, stood right next to his dad.

"We don't know how it was found, as its not really the sort of picture a person would carry around with them," he said.

The bride in the photograph is older sister Doris Vaughn, 77, who married Leslie Vaughn on July 7 1945, at St John's Church in Hythe.

Mrs Vaughn's daughter, Amanda Jones, also recognised her parents in the photograph, and said she and her mum couldn't believe it had been found. "We think it went missing when my father passed away and we were moving, but that was fifteen years ago," she said.

Although the picture has now been reunited with its owner, the mystery deepens.

"Where it's been since it went missing, I have no idea."