Lovestruck classmates Anna Pope and Gary Baker set each other's hearts aflutter - but neither dared tell the other of their secret passion.

They left their teenage crushes at the school gates and moved on, always wondering what the other was up to.

Then, 17 years later, web site phenomenon Friends Reunited worked its own special magic and brought the couple together again.

The web site is responsible for giving numerous UK couples to enjoy a second bite of the cherry with their childhood sweetheart.

But for Anna, 31, and Gary, 32, it gave them a chance to finally tell each other of the love they never revealed as pupils at Tideway School in Newhaven.

Since becoming reacquainted in February 2002, the couple have also managed to provide Friends Reunited with its seventh baby.

Anna, who has changed her name to Baker, gave birth to Sean on Christmas Day, making their love story complete.

Anna, of Jason Close, Peacehaven, said: "We both went to Tideway in 1982 and hung out with the same friends.

"Gary was always the nicest boy in the class and I obviously fancied him. But he had a girlfriend.

"I never told anyone how I felt and neither did he so nothing happened.

"I went to work as a rep in Greece, married a Greek man and had two children. Gary married too and had two children.

"I came back when my marriage ended and bumped into a schoolfriend who invited me to a reunion."

About 300 former pupils turned up to the reunion - but not Gary.

Anna said: "Our group of friends started meeting up regularly after that but we kept missing each other.

"When we finally met last Christmas there was something between us straight away but nothing happened because Gary was in a relationship.

"It was left at that until we met again in February. He had separated from his girlfriend and he told me he needed us to be together. We haven't been apart since.

"Our friends are amazed we are together after all this time.

"It's our biggest regret that we came so close back then and it has taken us so long.

"We could have been together all this time but we were young - and confidence comes with age."

Gary said: "I always thought Anna was lovely but I found her unapproachable.

"We were friends but she didn't seem very interested in boys.

"I thought there was no point telling her, she would shoot me down.

"We both moved away and I had a couple of failed relationships.

"Then I latched on to Friends Reunited and got in touch with a girl from our class.

"We organised a few nights out but it was a while before I met Anna.

"When I saw her again I was drawn to her and just wanted to tell her I wanted to see her again."

When they finally got together Gary was "gobsmacked" to discover Anna had not been immune to his boyhood charms.

He said: "I couldn't believe it. I remember sitting at a desk and she was on my right. I never thought I stood a chance but the love of my life was there all the time."

Friends Reunited was launched in 2000 and has notched up several marriages. The first baby was born last August.