A MAN who was born in Barrow and now lives in Germany has launched a bid to track down his relatives.

Dave Markwort’s mother Waltraut Frieda - also known as Molly, took him and his younger brother Hans to Germany in the 1950s to escape her abusive relationship with their father James McKeown.

Mr Markwort, who changed his surname from McKeown, had no contact with his father before he died in around 1997 at a nursing home or hospital in the Barrow area.

But after being diagnosed with a medical condition Mr Markwort is now trying to trace any living blood relatives to find out if he could be at risk of developing any other hereditary illnesses.

I have no idea whether or not I have step-siblings, nor do I know whether he remarried,” Mr Markwort said.

“The last time I saw him was when the police escorted him from Askam to a train heading for Barrow in 1958.

“ In 1958 he lived at 62 Trent Vale, Walney, I think his last address was 36 Marsh Street, Barrow; his family lived in that area for years.

“He did have at least one brother, a younger brother.

“I can remember one occasion when a woman knocked at our door in 1957, she had a baby in her arms and demanded to see my father, he wasn’t there, mum was, it was a very short altercation which ended with the door being slammed shut.”

Mr Markwort only returned to Barrow once since the family left the UK.

“I left the UK promising that I would never go back, I did and it was a shock to see how much Barrow has changed for the worse, but the pain was still there and I was glad to get back home to Germany,” he said.

“I have no further info on any relatives that might be there, nothing.

“I would have liked to have met my siblings, if I have any, but if I do they more than likely have no idea that I even exist.”

Anyone who has any information which might help Mr Markwort to track down any relatives can email amy.fenton@newsquest.co.uk