Ukraine: Nottinghamshire man taking ambulance to country border

Bill Sharpe's company funded the purchase of the old NHS ambulance

A businessman and his son are preparing to drive an old NHS ambulance filled with medical supplies to the Ukraine border.

Bill Sharpe, 49, has been collecting donations at his family-run business in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire.

Mr Sharpe and Ed will drive the ambulance from the UK to the country's border with Poland on Friday.

They will then hand it over to a local contact to take the much-needed transport and aid into Ukraine.

Mr Sharpe's company funded the purchase of the old ambulance that he and his 27-year-old son will take turns in driving across Europe.

He said former NHS vehicles were usually decommissioned before being sold, meaning the equipment and the emergency lights would have been removed.

However, he said he was able to organise for it to be kept in its original condition due to the nature of where it was going.

He said: "The main reason for doing this was getting ambulances over there for the soldiers.

"The contact that we've got over there in Ukraine said they were a desperate requirement.

"So, we're getting them over but filled with aid as well."

Mr Sharpe has filled the ambulance with donated supplies

They have been collecting donations of medical equipment, women's sanitary products, nappies and ready-made baby milk.

Mr Sharpe was also hoping to take a defibrillator if he can get one.

"That's the kind of 'holy grail' thing that we'd love to be able to get hold of," he said.

Despite heading towards a war zone, Mr Sharpe said he did not have any safety concerns.

"I'm worried mentally about what it's going to be like at the other end.

"It's obviously not a very nice environment with a lot of displaced, unhappy people, so I'm a bit apprehensive about that," he said.