National Highways traffic officers deliver £48,000 of Ukraine aid

A team of traffic officers from the East Midlands have delivered £48,000 of aid to victims of the war in Ukraine.

The four-strong group, who work for National Highways, have completed five trips to eastern Europe, having raised cash to buy the supplies.

They have used their annual leave to make the trips, covering 12,000 miles (19,312km) in total.

They delivered six tonnes of clothing, 100 boxes of medical kit, drones, helmets, uniforms and a 4x4 vehicle.

Tyler Bond, Alex Brown, John Cray, and Aidan Dean, who are all based at the National Highways station in Felley, Nottinghamshire, also purchased four ex-NHS ambulances for a charity working in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine.

Mr Brown, a former Royal Navy veteran from Heage in Derbyshire, said: "I've served in the military and seen some things that will stick with me forever, but this was on another scale.

"The sheer destruction and seeing civilians being targeted is unreal.

"That's why we wanted to help, and why we've gone on to complete five trips.

"We all have families and these visits have put a massive strain on us all mentally and physically.

"When we did our first humanitarian aid delivery with toys for the refugee children, my own children told me I'm like Santa.

"That's something that will stay with me forever, and I'm so proud to be able to say we've done something to help the victims of this war."

Mr Dean, from Chaddesden in Derbyshire, added: "The locals we've met are very grateful and appreciative of what we've been able to provide.

"Despite the sheer destruction, seeing Kyiv still operating and locals going about their daily lives as normal as possible really shows the courage and determination these people have during a war against their homeland.

"It really brings home what drove us to complete these visits in the first place."

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