Harry Styles' estranged stepdad is desperate to reunite with the pop star.

John shared: "Losing Harry was the worst thing in my life, having my little family broken up. It took me eight years to get over it. It ¬devastated me. I got really attached to him. I just thought the world of him."

John - who married Anne in 2003, two years after she divorced Harry's dad, Des - revealed his pride at having seen the 22-year-old singer grow up to become one of the world's most recognisable faces.

He told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "I fell madly in love with Anne, she got me. I was a dad to Harry for six years and brought him up in his important years.

"I bonded with him straight away - with [his sister] Gemma. I loved the kids."

During this time, Harry spent nearly five years living at the Antrobus Arms pub, where he would race around the bar during the day.

John recalled: "Harry loved living in a pub and was the centre of attention.

"He was really lively and would run around the pub, with all the customers fussing over him. He used to sit beside me all day, sit at the bar and chat. He is a down to earth kid and always has been. I didn't really need to tell him off much, he was just a real delight. Brilliant at school too, superb.

"His only fault was that he was dead untidy. But I'd tell him: 'Clean up Harry!' and he'd do it.

"He was always very polite. He never once said: 'Look, you're not my dad'."

John's contact with Harry ended when he and Anne - who has a new partner - split in 2006.

He said: "I missed Harry like crazy. He saw my mother in Tesco's in Northwich about 18 months ago and just ran up to her and put his arms around her.

"He used to stay with her - she was his gran for a bit. She was chuffed as anything when he ran up to her. She was crying her eyes out. They got very close when he was a lad, she just loves him."