A FORMER soldier has admitted he is being ripped to shreds over the plight of Ukranian friends trapped in Moldova.

Retired Lt Col Robert Oxborough, who lives in Mary Tavy, says he is awaiting news of the family, who are fleeing the advancing Red Army from Ukraine.

He was planning to fly over to Poland to meet them and help get them out of the war-torn area. But his plan was scuppered because severe fuel shortages means the family of four can only get as far as Moldova.

Mr Oxborough, a former West Devon Borough councillor, said visa hold-ups were making it impossible to get the family out and it was also difficult to fly into Moldova.

The family are friends he made while has visiting Ukraine, where he was planning to write a book on the country’s involvement in World War Two.

Mr Oxborough and his wife Tracey have offered up bedrooms at their Mary Tavy home to Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Britain.

He said he had made that  offer because he could not stand by and do nothing while the Russian army ravages the eastern European country.

Mr Oxborough said he hoped one of his contacts in Moldova, a missionary, would be able to look after the family until he could get them out of the country.

He said: ‘I am desperate about this — it is ripped me apart. I’m still trying to get them out, but it’s difficult to know what to do at the moment.’

He has made contact with the British Association of Ukrainian Nationals to offer his home and was also awaiting Government advice on how to help refugees.

Mr Oxborough, 62, said: ‘I would like to do something to help and I didn’t even think about it.

‘This is an international crisis, so why would someone not want to help? We are not talking about immigrants here, we are talking about people who need refuge, but who intend to return to their country at some point.’

Mr Oxborough, who has two sons serving in the armed forces, made his offer via a letter to West Devon and Torridge MP Sir Geoffrey Cox, for whom he was a constituency chairman for four years.

In the letter, he voiced doubts about how the Government was conducting itself during the crisis, calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to act now, using military means to stop the Russian army. Mr Oxborough said he had plenty of room at his Victorian home to house refugees.

He said: ‘It would be ideal for a family. We’ve got three bedrooms they could use and one which I am converting. It could quite easily be an annexe for them.

‘I have got connections in Ukraine, but this is open to any refugee who needs it.’

Mr Oxborough said he had been in contact with West Devon Borough Council to check if they were accepting refugees.

The council have already said they would act if called upon to provide homes for Ukrainians and Devon County Council leader John Hart has said people were already offering accommodation for refugees.

Cllr Neil Jory, Leader of West Devon Borough Council, said: ‘Everyone at West Devon Borough Council is deeply saddened by the crisis unfolding in Ukraine. As yet, the council has not yet received the call to provide housing for Ukrainian refugees displaced by the conflict. If and when that comes, our team will assess exactly what we can offer and how we can help those in need. We will keep following the news out of Ukraine and will be ready to offer our help.’