A pair of identical twin sisters from Suffolk have been reunited on the holiday of a lifetime after not seeing each other for two years.

Marie Hunter and Ixcheal Cook, originally from Bury St Edmunds, were reunited at Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort in St Lucia, after the pandemic kept them apart for two years.

Ixchael lives in Navarre, in North West Florida, with her husband Christopher and son Elis. They were devastated at the start of the pandemic when Elis was paralyzed in a skateboarding accident.

She said: "My son was paralysed right at the beginning of the pandemic, and my sister wanted nothing more than to be able to come over to help…but she couldn’t.

"The reunion was quite emotional, as I hadn’t seen any of my family since my son broke his back and completely severed his spinal cord in a skateboarding accident.”

Marie and her husband Jason, who have been married for almost 15 years, were desperate to visit to help support their American family, but due to Covid restrictions, they were unable to enter the United States.

Both couples stayed at the same resort, but neither of the woman's husbands was aware that they would be seeing their in-laws before they arrived.

Marie and Jason had not seen Chris for six years, as he had been away on business when they last visited.

While in the Caribbean they celebrated Ixcheal and Christopher's 19th wedding anniversary, and Jason's 50th birthday.

Marie said: "We have not seen Chris for about 6 years I believe. The most awful thing was not being able to visit during Covid when Chris and Ixcheal's son, Elis broke his back.

"It was an awful time and we felt helpless. He is currently recovering from an infection relating to his injuries and thankfully, I am currently in the US to help as it is around the clock care for six weeks and Chris is working overseas.”

Ixcheal added: “Covid was a big part of us not seeing each other, and it kept us away from each other at a very trying time."