A Haslington man who bought medical kits for the Ukraine is home safe and well after a 28 hour drive.

Retired Network Engineer, Steve Bratherton, set off on his one fifteen hundred mile trip across Europe on Saturday, in response to the conflict in Ukraine.

Steve bought 40 burns treatment kits out of his own pocket, costing more than £4000 and took them to the Polish/Ukraine border to help the injured.

Sandbach Nub News told last week about Steve's trip here.

He got back late last night (Wednesday) after driving non-stop from the Ukraine border following a six hour wait in a refugee camp to take a family to safety in Europe.

The authorities closed the border due to security reasons and sadly Steve wasn't able to complete the second part of his plan but that hasn't deterred him.

For now the plucky 64-year-old is buying more medical kits and planning to return to the Ukraine border again as soon as he receives the equipment.

He said: "I wasn't really prepared for what I saw. The refugees I saw looked completely shell-shocked. Parents were crying and children just didn't know what was happening.

"They looked shattered and worn out. All they had with them was a carrier bag and a few belongings. It was a sight I will never forget.

"They have spent days travelling with no sanitation. The situation is awful but people are working together and things are getting done."

Steve spent around two hours filling in all the paperwork to become a registered refugee driver and has made a lot of contacts during his journey to help him go back and continue his work.

"Sadly it wasn't to be this time but when I go back I will help moving the refugees around to wherever they need to go.

"There were Chinook helicopters, American drones and lots of NATO staff there.

"When you see all the military police and everything else going on it can be quite frightening."

Even so, Steve is determined to go back but for the time being he is catching up with all the goodwill messages he has received on his return.

"I just can't get over people's messages. They are amazing and I am so grateful for all the support.

He is now part of a Whatsapp group working on the campaign in the area and the Go Fund page here. which Steve set up to help fund the trip has reached £5,147.

"I just can't believe how supportive people have been," said Steve.

"I've been on TV news and have been contacted by another journalist about a programme she is working on to be aired soon."