THE families of two Brummies caught up in the Japan earthquake were overcome with relief when their loved ones finally got in touch after the disaster.

English teachers Paul Harris, aged 54, and Brian Hickebottom, 34, had both been missing since Friday morning’s devastating 9.0 magnitude quake off the North East coast of the country.

Families of the men spent an anguished weekend desperate to hear news when finally, within hours of each other, both made contact with Brum.

Mr Harris, a private teacher, telephoned mum Daphne, aged 82, yesterday morning.

“It couldn’t have been better to hear his voice,” said Mrs Harris, from Stirchley,

“A cloud has been hanging over us and now it’s been lifted. I can’t believe it.”

Mrs Harris said she was in a “state of shock” when she saw the pictures from the quake zone on Friday morning.

“The worry for us was there was a remote possibility he might be bird watching which he goes to the coast for if he wasn’t working.”

Mr Harris was giving a private English lesson in a department store in Sendai when the quake struck and took shelter in the basement.

“He wanted to contact his partner so he left the department store basement and returned to their apartment, which is up a mountain in Sendai,” Mrs Harris said.

“Everything in the house that could come down had come down, but Kayoko survived by sheltering under the table.” Sister Judith Harris, aged 41, from Selly Park, said the wait for news had been “harrowing”.

“You oscillate between thinking he’s dead or he’s scared and all alone and hurt or he’s in a centre but he can’t get in touch because the internet is down.

“It’s been one of the worst experiences of my life and for the whole family.

“Now we’re delighted. Having a call like that is one in a million.”