TWO women who have known each other for nearly 30 years spoke of their shock – after discovering they were sisters.

Deborah Day, 44, and Marilyn Morris, 45, were separated just two months after Deborah's birth, when she went to live with an adoption family – a 15-minute walk from her real family.

The pair, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, were unwittingly reunited as teenagers, when they both worked at a local supermarket and quickly sparked up a close friendship – despite being totally unaware they were related.

The amazing discovery finally came to light when eldest sister Sally Griffiths, 46, decided to trace her "lost" siblings after finding out Deborah had been put up for adoption as a baby.

After she found her adopted sister, Sally began a search for Marilyn after the pair had lost touch years earlier.

When the family were eventually reunited, the sisters were shocked to discover they had all lived within one mile of each other and even sent their children to the same school.

Deborah, who lives with her husband Rob and three children, said the revelation had made her bond with Marilyn even stronger.

"I couldn't believe it when I first met Marilyn and realised how alike we are. It was so shocking when we realised we had worked together years ago.

"While we were at Tesco, we realised we were similar and I thought there was a bit of a connection but I never imagined Marilyn was my sister.

"We are all so close now and even our family are good friends – after all, we have got 38 years of catching up to do and we're enjoying every minute."

The three siblings were all born in Weston-super-Mare in the early 1960s but due to problems at home, the sisters were separated just two months after Deborah's birth.

Deborah was adopted by another family in the same town and grew up with two adopted sisters and an adopted brother.

When Sally discovered her parents had had her younger sister adopted, she recruited the Salvation Army to help her find Deborah – which led to an emotional reunion eight years ago.

Inspired by the reunion, Sally decided to find her other sister Marilyn after the pair had lost touch a year earlier. When she finally reunited the family, Deborah and Marilyn were shocked to discover they were not just friends but sisters.

Mother-of-three Marilyn, who lives in Locking Castle, Weston, said she was "over the moon" after discovering her new sister.

She added: "Our children were all so excited when they realised they were cousins and they get on really well.

"They all go to the same school and are really happy that they are part of one big happy family."