A selfless couple are adapting their home to provide refuge to a disabled man and his family fleeing war-torn Ukraine.

Gareth and Gemma Porter from Dover are spending thousands of pounds of their own money and sacrificing their living room and dining room to make way for the family of four.

They had already ripped out the ground floor bathroom of their Snargate Street property ready for a renovation when they signed up to charity, Solve, to help a family in need.

They were then matched with a family who require disabled facilities and agreed to re-configure the design.

Roxy, her partner, her mother and her brother Roman, who needs a wheelchair, fled from Kyiv on the day of the Russian invasion, and are now in Calais.

Tears were shed as they were introduced to the Porters via a video call on Friday, overseen by refugee charity Care4Calais.

It is expected to take about two weeks for the relevant paperwork to be completed, then the family can cross the Channel.

Mr Porter, a dad of six himself - four of which still live at home - said: “I’d like to think that somebody would look after my family if it was the other way round.

"This will be their home for as long as they need it.

"They might become part of the family.

"In which case, we’ll build an extension.”

Their pledge comes after the government announced a Homes for UK scheme to help house displaced Ukrainians.

The Porter’s home is a 300-year-old townhouse, once the Arlington public house - known as the smallest pub in Kent.

Work is already underway to make it disabled friendly, with ramps and a suitable bathroom and kitchenette.

Mr Porter, a project manager for an Ashford-based construction company, is doing all of the work himself.

The 40-year-old said: “We Facetimed on Friday and it was quite emotional. They were crying which was hard to watch. We asked what their needs were and all they asked for was somewhere they could shower and an area for Roman to sit on the floor so he can play with his cars.That’s all they asked for.”

Family and friends have rallied to buy new bedding and toiletries for the family. A friend with a disability vehicle has also offered his services whenever required.

Mr Porter said: “It’s not just myself and Gemma, there’s a lot of people chipping in and wanting to help.”

At the weekend, an emotional plea was projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover.

It was from holocaust survivor Steven Frank, who was asking Boris Johnson to change his approach to Ukranian refugees applying to enter the country.

The Dutchman said: “Every single person you see in the news stories about Ukraine is a human being, just like you, with hopes and dreams. But for the lottery of birth, it could have been you forced to flee for safety with your family.

“I should know, it happened to me.”