FOR 20 years a Gwent family have sent postcards from Weymouth to family and friends, saying "wish you were here".

But now they will be sending the message out to thousands of homes across the country after inadvertently appearing on one of the town's best- selling postcards.

Sally, 40, and Chris Lee, 50, from Stelvio, Newport, and Angela and David Gore, of Ruffets Close, Chepstow, were on holiday in Weymouth earlier this year when they spotted the postcard.

"I was flicking through the postcards in a local shop when I saw our windbreakers and I couldn't believe it!" said Mr Lee.

Mrs Lee said: "It was taken about five years ago and I remembered my mother saying, 'I think there is a peeping Tom taking pictures!'" The family have visited Weymouth for the last 20 years and always sit in the same spot on the beach.

And it was while they were relaxing behind their red, blue and yellow windbreak five years ago that they were snapped by tourist bosses. "We sent copies of the postcard to all our family but they didn't believe us, they thought we had it specially made!" added Mr Lee.

In the postcard Mr Gore, a 53-year-old shopfitter, can be seen sitting in a deckchair, his 51-year-old wife is sitting beside him, and his mother-in-law, Joan Payne.

Angela's sister, Sally, and her husband, Chris, were not photographed because they were lying down next to her dad, Allan Payne, 75, of Chepstow.

Steve Ives, who runs News & Chews, where the couple spotted the card, said: "It is a very popular postcard."

The photograph was taken close to the Pavilion Theatre by Veryan Trewin for John Hinde publishers.

A John Hinde spokesman said 2,000 of the postcards have already been sold in Weymouth this year.