Ukraine: Harlow man arrives in UK after fleeing with family

A family have landed at Heathrow Airport after fleeing their home in Ukraine.

Nathan Rossiter, originally from Harlow in Essex, escaped the war-torn country with his wife Olena and son Leo, 5.

It took the family 16 days to travel from their home in Kharkiv, near the Russian border, to the UK.

Speaking after they landed, Mr Rossiter, who is diabetic and had lived in Ukraine for seven years, said it felt "great to be back in Britain".

The family initially travelled to Kyiv to secure visas on 21 February and planned to then return to Kharkiv.

However, they heard the city was being pounded by Russian forces, leaving them stranded in a hotel room in Kyiv, where they began running low on food, drinking water and insulin.

Mr Rossiter was concerned he would not have enough medication and needles.

After four days in the hotel, listening to the explosions as the Russian forces advanced, the family managed to board a minibus for a 300-mile journey to the Romanian border.

The family landed at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday night after staying in the Romanian capital Bucharest.

Olena Rossiter said the rest of her family had stayed behind in Ukraine, but she was in contact with them every day.

"They keep telling me not to worry and they are OK," she said.

She said it was her and Leo's first visit to the UK.

"I've never been here before," she said.

"Leo is going to see his grandmother for the first time in almost six years.

"He's never seen my husband's family, so this will be the first time they've seen him."

The family said they never imagined the conflict "would go this far".

"We hope it ends soon," they said.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]