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A scriptwriter who discovered a photo album hidden inside a retro chair he bought at a flea market has traced the man who lost it two decades ago.

Oli Lansley, 34, found the long-lost picture book after buying the second-hand armchair from a furniture sale near to his home in Brockley, south London.

After seeing that the album was filled with photos of a young man posing with his family and friends in the 60s and 70s, Mr Lansley posted details of his find on Facebook in a bid to trace the owner.

He wrote: “Ok Facebook - time to earn your keep... I have a challenge for you.

“I bought an old armchair from a flea market in Brockley.

"Underneath the seat was an old photo album containing literally an entire life's worth of photos.

“If you could, please share these pictures and if anyone recognises this dude - and what a dude - check out those socks, hero - then please get in touch.

“This is someone's history and I would love to get it back to them.”

The Facebook post went viral and was shared more than 20,000 times before Mr Lansley was contacted by the daughter of 58-year-old Noel Douglas – the man pictured in the photographs.

He has arranged to meet Mr Douglas, a property developer and furniture store owner, to reunite him with the book.

Mr Lansley, who also runs a theatre company, told the Standard: “I can’t believe that within 48 hours of sharing the Facebook post, I will be handing the album back to him tomorrow.

“He’s over the moon. It’s such a lovely thing that people actually care about this kind of stuff and want to help.”

Crystal Palace resident Mr Douglas, who believes he lost the album when he was moving house 20 years ago, said he still has the Hawaiian shirt he is pictured wearing in one of the photos, which is now worn by his 18-year-old daughter Hollie.

He said: “I am really excited. I have never been able to show my daughter a picture of her grandmother before as she died before Hollie was born.

“It’s fantastic. I thought I would never see those photos again.”