A GRADUATE from the region has launched a website for tracking down old friends.

Rob Billington, who took an IT course at Finchale Training College for disabled people after becoming blind in one eye, has founded Who-Remembers-Me.com

The site has already attracted more than 750,000 users from 185 countries worldwide.

The 40-year-old, who had a difficult childhood, including time in a children's home, set up the website after becoming frustrated by the limitations of other websites that focused on reuniting old school friends.

He said: "I was hardly in school, so my early memories are of friends from the neighbourhoods in Cheshire where I grew up. These were the people I wanted to track down.

"So I decided that a more complete website was needed, which catered for a wider range of experiences, and included things like children's homes, streets, neighbourhoods, members clubs and workplaces.

"The response has been staggering.

"Ten-thousand people registered in the first four weeks."

The site works by allowing visitors to register their details and write a profile about themselves.

The website can be found at www.Who-Remembers-Me.com