Scots expat and family escape besieged Kharkiv on last train

A Scottish expat who has been shielding his family from Russian air strikes in Ukraine has boarded a train to escape.

Sean Cusick, his wife Chloe and their two-year-old son have been running between their home in Kharkiv and a bomb shelter since the invasion began.

On Wednesday the family waited for 15 hours at a train station while explosions could be heard around them.

They were eventually allowed on the last train and later reported they had arrived in a city in western Ukraine.

In a post on Telegram, the couple said they would be heading closer to the Polish border later.

Earlier Chloe told the BBC: "We managed to get into the train only around midnight. It was very cold, very dangerous, very loud.

"There was a possible chance of them bombing the actual building so people were panicking. It was our last chance. We knew if we didn't get in we'd probably have to spend the night there."

Chloe, a Ukrainian national, and Sean had been living near her parents in Kharkiv - Ukraine's second largest city and about 24 miles (40km) from the eastern border.

Russian forces have been blowing out buildings and leaving a trail of destruction in the area since Saturday - and on Tuesday at least 10 people were confirmed killed.

Sean, who is originally from Glasgow, had to cut an interview with the BBC short last week as he heard the sound of tanks nearby.

As the attacks intensified, the couple began sleeping in their shoes so they could make a quicker getaway to the nearest bomb shelter.

More than a million people have fled Ukraine for neighbouring countries - mostly women and children, as all Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 are being told to stay and fight.

Chloe described how there were separate queues for women and children at the train station, which she was not allowed to join with Sean.

She said: "In the end when it was the last train I did my best to get to the queue with the women and kids and we finally did get in.

"We weren't sure that we would actually get in because we weren't sure if there was enough seats for everyone, but because of the rockets and planes right at the moment of the boarding they said 'ok, just go go go'."

The couple have been attempting to leave Ukraine for the UK since they got married in November, but have been hit with several financial and bureaucratic hurdles.

Sean's wife had been living in China for 10 years previously, and her passport and ID were therefore invalid when she returned home - a problem that was further complicated by her name change.

They have still to secure a visa to allow Chloe into the UK, however MP Stewart McDonald has contacted the Home Office to raise awareness of their case.

Now all the family can do is try to sleep as they travel to safety - though Chloe said there is no space to lie down as there are often five people crammed into two seats

"Only women and children are allowed a seat - men have to stand so Sean is very tired," said Chloe.

"I knew this day might come so I've been preparing as much as I can. I have food and basic clothes for [my son], I didn't want him to get cold.

"We're all exhausted but we're in a more safe place and we also have people around - they're all helping each other, they're giving us food and water. So we're not that bad. I think it's worth it to take this chance.

"My mum has been freaking out because there was rockets… all night. She just called me and cried and asked me if I'm ok. She's thinking she might need to go - I'm still very worried about my family."