A PENSIONER whose family turned to the internet to trace her long-lost niece was astonished to find what a big fish they netted.

Laura Gibson, 83, from Eastcott Hill, had only seen pictures of her Singapore-based niece Noeleen Heyzer in childhood from almost 50 years earlier.

When her curiosity to find out about Noeleen finally got the better of her this year, her grandson Michael Gibson logged onto the internet to see what he could find out about her.

Michael, 20, a student at Shrivenham's Royal Military College of Science, was surprised to find there was plenty of information about Noeleen, 52, available on the worldwide web the little girl in Laura's photographs had become one of the United Nations' most powerful diplomats.

After studying at the University of Singapore and gaining a PhD in social sciences from Cambridge University, Noeleen is now the executive director of the UN's women's rights directorate, UNIFEM.

Now based in New York, Noeleen is responsible for a $30m annual budget and for programmes aimed at improving women's conditions in 100 countries around the world.

But she still found time to break off from a trip to Afghanistan for an emotional first meeting with her aunt in Swindon after being contacted by Michael via e-mail.

Noeleen also brought along her own daughter, Lilianne Heyzer-Fan, 24.

"We were really delighted to see them and put on a big reception," said Laura.

"We enjoyed every minute of it, only the time together seemed so short.

"Noeleen is a very fascinating and very clever person to talk to, and you can't help but take to her.

"She's wonderful to know and full of life, with real happiness in her face, and she's most loving.

"She said she was surprised to see how well I looked, and to hear about all the things I do at my age."

Laura, who is a stalwart member of Holy Rood Church in Swindon and an organiser of scores of trips to religious shrines, was also delighted to learn that her high-flying niece knew a lot about her.

"She'd never seen me but remembered her parents talking about me and seen photographs of me," Laura said.

"And at the station, she made me out straight away and said I didn't seem to have changed."

Noeleen's father Laura's brother was Sir Edward Percival Heyzer, a doctor who moved to Singapore in the 1940s and was knighted for his work in that country. He died in 1986.