RESCUING cold, scared and injured migrants from the rocks of the Greece coastline became a way of life for a Ledbury mother who felt to help those fleeing war torn countries.

Louisa Maynard was 'horrified' by the treatment of migrants arriving in Europe so left her family to go on a two week project to provide dry clothes, food and blankets to help.

"The situation out there is desperate there is no two ways about it," said Louisa.

"There is no charity organisation receiving people just volunteers who are literally saving people's lives on a daily basis."

"We were the only ones helping drowning migrants who never landed on lit beaches but in dangerous places.

"We picked them up and got them to safety before taking them to registration, which was a freezing barn and handed them warm clothes."

Louis was one of a group of friends who based themselves in Chios, a Greek island eight hours from the main land by ferry.

They were all based at a hotel on the island which was filled with volunteers and owned by their co-ordinator.

Louisa added: "There was migrants with hypothermia shaking in the corner and it was horrifying.

"The Norweigen Refugee Council who were running the centre had two members of staff trying to register 2,000 migrants.

"The Red Cross also had a medical centre in the building which was closed between 10pm and 8am, so people arriving with broken bones had to wait throughout the night as there was no doctor.

"There was large crowds of extremely vulnerable people who could spend up to 12 hours registration. The community shop was also a joke as there was no shoes for men who were arriving with white lines on their feet desperate for shoes and all we could give them was a plastic bag."

The UK fundraising group raised £2,740 through a 'Go Fund Me' page which was used to help the rescue operation by buying warm clothes, washing machines, helping with maintenance costs for buildings and they plan to transfer enough to fellow rescuers to buy a van to help with their efforts.

Louis who has now returned home after two weeks but said that despite the harrowing scenes she had a 'most positive experience of her life'.

She added: "The people were so gracious and grateful that I don't think they had any idea of the journey that awaits them. I think they were so positive as they had made it to Europe which has high moral standards where as we are letting this one country take on a massive amount of people.

"There were between 50 and 70 people on each boat and about eight each day and many of the life vests were fake with foam inside that sucks in water and became a sinking device.

"To help create more clothing to distribute the discarded wet garments were washed before being handed back out to the arriving migrants."

Louisa now plans to head back to Greece with her three-year-old son to work in a children's centre with him.

For more information, to keep up-to-date with the trip and to donate visit the 'Aid and Rescue Van for Refugees in Europe' facebook page.