A Haslington man is on his way back to the UK after waiting six hours at a refugee centre to be turned away.

Retired Network Engineer, Stephen Bratherton, set off on his thousand-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.

His plan was to be partnered with a Ukrainian refugee family to take them to a place of safety on his way back but his efforts have been thwarted after the border was closed.

At 1:30pm yesterday Steve told Nub News: "I am waiting for a family, but it's not looking good, I've been here for four hours."

Steve was featured on ITV News last night at 6pm speaking about his trip from the refugee centre.

Disappointed Steve later posted on Social Media: "The border is closed for security reasons so no refugees to take back

"I have waited all day. I'm now on my way back to the UK non-stop."

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Friends are waiting for the heroic man to return to his Cheshire home and hear about his 1,500 plus mile mercy trip.

He told Nub News yesterday: "My burn kits are on the way to Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital as there are 150 people with severe burns from a rocket attack two days ago.

"My Polish contact, Kamil, took the kits to another border crossing three hours away as the border is closed here for people going into Ukraine."

After his 1,500 mile journey and successful distribution of the burn kits, Steve began waiting to be partnered with a family at the refugee centre.

You can read the Sandbach Nub News article about Steve's trip here.