Northampton woman, 22, calls on town to help fill lorry with essentials to send to war torn Ukraine

A Northampton family has set up a donation station in town to help people survive in the war torn Ukraine.

Twenty-two-year-old Odeta Bajor has set up her donation site at the Tesco Express car park in Wellingborough Road.

The site, which is being manned by volunteers, is open today (Monday, February 28) from 3pm until 8pm and tomorrow (Tuesday, March 1) from 8am until 8pm.

Donations will be piled into the back of a lorry, which will then be driven to Ukraine once it is filled.

"We have a close friend from Ukraine who is going to drive the lorry and drop the stuff off in Ukraine.

"The driver has done this before, he has taken supplies over to the Ukraine when there has been shortages in the past.

"If you can donate anything and everything you can that would be a massive help.

"Whoever donates can follow lorry tracker on our social media page."

The beauty therapist said her family are specifically looking for people to donate: sleeping bags, warm blankets, warm clothes and shoes for men women and children, nappies, sanitary products, first aid kits, canned food, and long lasting baby food.

Anyone donating has been asked to bag and label their donations in the categories above, and to also clean anything beforehand.

Odetta added: "During these heartbreaking times we need your help to donate anything you can."

At least 500,000 refugees have fled from Ukraine as the invasion reached its fifth day today (Monday).

The EU said it would accept Ukrainian refugees for three years while the UK said anybody with “immediate” family already in Britain would be allowed into the country.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Monday that the move to allow immediate family members to join Ukrainians settled in the UK is only a “first step” as Vladimir Putin’s assault continued.

Click here to read more about why Russia has invaded the Ukraine.