A Kent mechanic has bought an old coach to take doctors and paramedics to Ukraine – as well as to save refugees from the war-torn country.

Arthur Smith, from Tonbridge, is fundraising £5,000 to get the convoy of vehicles and medical supplies to the capital Kyiv this weekend.

Tonbridge mechanic Arthur Smith speaks about his humanitarian mission

He runs his own mobile mechanics business – PATROL – which has spare vehicles he thinks will be better used to transport the injured and used as a mobile hospital.

They will also be joined by Emergency FIRST which is taking ambulances to Ukraine.

Due to heading into a warzone the vehicle has a had a new livery applied, free of charge from Signosauras, with a huge red cross, to make it clear to forces on both sides it is in a humanitarian mission.

Arthur admitted as the bloodshed continues in Ukraine, where thousands are thought to have lost their lives, he has become more worried about the mission.

He said: "Initially I wasn't scared, but then as the days started to go on and things progressed and things got worse in Ukraine, I am scared.

"Everyone who is going, whether they say they are or not, is scared. And the amount of us that are going and not knowing when we're coming back is scary.

"We're not saying goodbye to people but family and friends are all wanting to see us before we go. It's not a goodbye but it's a please comeback."

Arthur, 25, who has never entered an area of conflict before, explained the team would be stopping at a number of embassies along the way, including Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Poland.

He added: "We're taking a bus full of paramedics, doctors, humanitarian aid personnel and Ukrainian nationals who are trying to get back to protect their country.

"We'll be using the coach to shuttle refugees and as a hospital – it will be fitted with blue lights and sirens."

You can donate to the cause here.

Since Vladimir Putin's Russian troops invaded Ukraine there has been an outpouring of support from people across Kent.

Yesterday, a church in Coxheath was opened to let nearby Ukrainian workers pray for their family and friends trapped in the warzone.

While multiple locations around the county are accepting donations to be sent over to the country.