THE Ukraine aid effort in Southampton has seen 250 pallets of essential items sent out for refugees.

The Polish Social Club-run operation has sent out six lorries and 35 vans packed full of food and other aid to Poland for distribution to refugees.

Some four million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its war, the UN refugee agency has said.

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Southampton launched into action after the invasion started on February 24 - with hundreds of people donating essential items.

Now the effort, based at the former Toys R Us store in the city, needs food donations.

Paulina Kozlowska, who runs Sea Life Play Centre in Marlands Shopping Centre, Southampton, is among the volunteers helping out.

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She told the Echo: "We are running short of food donations - at the moment we're negotiating with bigger suppliers.

"We've got monetary donations but if we can get them to pallet match it means we can get twice as much with the money we have.

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"Ideally we need canned meat and fish, instant food  like Pot Noodles and things like that."

Lorries are set to leave the city with more aid but Paulina needs more food to put on the pallets.

"Everyone needs food and we can't be ordering more pallets until we've put the food on the pallets," she said.

Donations can be dropped off at the former Toys R Us site only.

So far around £20,000 has been raised by the Southampton appeal.

Donate money at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/polishsocialclub-southampton