Yorkshire retired teacher, 72, travels to Ukraine to deliver water and fuel to villages on the front line

Maggie Tookey, 72, underwent the trip as part of volunteering for Edinburgh Direct Aid.

Ms Tookey travelled to the Donbas, where fighting is ongoing between Russian invading soldiers and Ukrainian forces.

She delivered water and fuel obtained in Kharkiv to families still living in communities on the front line.

Describing the scene, Ms Tookey said: “The situation in the Front Line villages is absolutely dire.

"In my experience these areas are the very worst and the people living in these places have to endure the greatest amount of personal suffering and almost constant danger.

“There’s a continuous risk of shelling, most houses have lost windows, there’s no power and no heating unless they have a stove and wood fuel.

“I can’t begin to understand why some parents are refusing to leave despite the fact that they have young children.”

Ms Tookey has undertaken many overseas missions as part of her work with Edinburgh Direct Aid.

She said: “It’s the work I’ve always done – in earthquakes, on the Syrian border. I’m not unused to risk. The aim is to do what we can, and take the most precautions we can.

"There were some places on this trip I couldn’t go to, it was a risk too far – if I get blown up, I can’t help anyone else.

"It is really desperate there. The shelling and the fear factor never goes away. I was frightened – but I could leave. For them, they’re under constant shelling and living mostly in their basements.

"It’s a terrible, terrible way to live. The trauma of the children is the worst thing to see.”

Ms Tookey has now returned back to Skipton, where she lives with her partner Patrick, but plans to go on another aid trip to Lebanon in the coming months.