FOR one ex-St Albans resident a trip to America and back cost more than he bargained for after his partner put their son up for adoption.

As a result Tyrone Young, 72, never got the chance to know his only child, Justin Patterson, and is now keen to find out where he is.

He said: “I want to see what kind of man he has become. I would love to know him, he’s the only child I had.

“I thought, ‘Oh my god I could be a grandfather or something like that’.”

Tyrone met Justin’s mum, Gwendolin Patterson, in St Albans at a furniture factory where there both used to work in Porters Wood in the early 70s.

She lived on Hatfield Road and he lived at Woodstock Road and Ridgmont Road respectively.

Tyrone believes Justin was born in September 1972 at St Albans City Hospital, after he and Gwendolin had dated for around a year.

At the time he was travelling between America and England to visit his family who lived all over the USA.

Jamaican-born Tyrone said: “When I went back to England I said, ‘where is Justin’, and she said ‘I put him up for adoption’, and I just walked away.”

“She did it behind my back. That tore me up inside. You can’t do that without me knowing.”

Gwendolin has since passed away and all he has to remember his son are some photos and a letter from the adoptive parents explaining the baby was happy and had two siblings.

“When the person sent the letter back to me they didn’t leave anything – no address or anything.”

He doesn’t know exactly where the letter came from, but suspects it came from St Albans.

The former blues singer moved to the Bronx, New York, 22 years ago after 30 years in St Albans to join his nine brothers and sisters, as well as his many his cousins.

He said: “I’m sorry I ever made the move.”

With such a huge clan he said it “feels strange” not to know where his own son is and like something is missing in his life.

His cousin has been helping him search for Justin on the internet but Tyrone is aware the adoptive parents may have changed his name, adding, “it’s so hard”.

Although they insisted in their letter to Gwendolin they would bring him up knowing he was adopted, Tyrone is worried they might not have done so.

He is hoping someone will remember somthing about his son, who will now be 40, or recall something after reading this story.

Even though he hates flying Tyrone said he “sure would come to England” if he could be reunited with his son, adding: “It’d be just great if I found him.”