Donated Barnsley vintage fur coats sent to war-torn Ukraine

Fur coats which were to be destroyed have instead been sent to war-torn Ukraine to help people survive winter.

Barnsley-based vintage clothing seller Glass Onion said it was working with an aid charity to ship the coats to those in need rather than going to landfill.

"The coats are now out of the fashion cycle and are instead helping people," said the company's Alice Leadbetter.

Reverend Bernard Cocker, founder of the International Aid Trust charity, said the fur coats had been "a lifesaver".

More than 600 coats were sent to areas near Kyiv and then distributed to local people and refugees in the Donbas region.

Ms Leadbetter told the BBC: "We were put in touch with the International Aid Trust through [animal rights group] Peta as we heard they were looking for donations to help those affected by the war in Ukraine.

"We can't undo the cruelty that has already been done to make these coats, but we can make sure they are recycled to protect those most in need."

Mr Cocker, who had been working in Ukraine since 1991, said he had met a lot of people who had lost everything, not even having "a knife or fork left".

"When they're facing a very cold winter, down to -30C (-22F) when winter comes, and these poor people have no adequate clothing or can't find wood for the fires to keep the house warm, these fur coats are a lifesaver," he said.

"What was going to be destroyed is saving people's lives, it's that simple."

He said that recipients' eyes "light up" when the coats are handed over.

"The coats that originally were on the backs of these beautiful animals are being appreciated again," he added.

"It's much better than destroying them."

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