Joy for Ukrainian family of seven as they arrive in Cumbria after six-week wait

A Ukrainian family that spent six weeks waiting for visas to allow them to live in the UK with relatives have spoken of their joy and relief at finally arriving in Cumbria.

Tanya Mulholland's family in Kyiv fled the war and made it to France but were left marooned there as paperwork was processed.

Now they are settling into life in Newton Reigny and have described how wonderful it is to at last be together.

Tanya said: "Oh, we're so happy that they're here finally.

"It's been a long journey and a big fight for them to get here but they are all here now and we're so happy to welcome them here and make this house like their home for now and everybody is happy."

Sixteen-year-old Vova is continuing his studies with online classes.

He said: "We understood it may not end that well and may not end in a week. When we arrived here we finally felt peace because we waited in Europe for around one-and-a-half months. It was hard, exceptional for my grandmas."

With Tanya's help her aunt explained what it had been like: "Everything destroyed in Ukraine at the minute except a little bit of parts of the town and one big airport possibly.

"But the rest is the houses ruined, all the roads ruined, the railways and transport ruined and the people's lives ruined as well."

The family are not sure when they will be able to return to Ukraine or when they will reunite with their husbands and fathers they have had to leave behind.