The son of a Conservative MP is one of a group of British ex-servicemen to join the war in Ukraine.

Ben Grant is the son of Helen Grant who represents Maidstone and The Weald in parliament.

The 30-year-old, who spent more than five years as a commando in the Royal Marines, is part of a group of seven ex-servicemen who joined the country's armed forces in Kyiv on Saturday, March 5.

His mother is also Boris Johnson’s special envoy on girls’ education and a former minister for sport and tourism.

Speaking to The Guardian in the ticket hall of Lviv station, he said: “I haven’t been sent. It's nothing to do with the government. It's nothing to do with my mother.

"I just want to make that clear. It's completely off my own back. I decided to do this. I didn’t even tell my mum.”

Mr Grant said he chose to head for Ukraine after seeing footage of a house being bombed where children could be heard screaming.

He said: “I am a father of three and if that was my kids I know what I would do, I would go and fight.

"Then I thought I would want another load of people who might be skilled enough to come and help me save my family.”

Mr Grant believes more ex-servicemen will join from the UK.

At the end of February, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was criticised for saying she would 'absolutely' support British nationals who choose to go to Ukraine to help fight Russia.

However, the chief of the defence staff instead urged Britons not to head to Ukraine.

Mr Grant said he knows that Russia's army is not sticking to the Geneva convention and is shooting journalists and civilians.

He said he would rather take his own life than be taken prisoner.

He said: “If it comes to me being able to end my life before getting captured, I probably would do that. I mentally prepared myself for that, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Mr Grant, who has been working as a security contractor in Iraq, described how he broke the news to his family.

He said: “I was over in Iraq and was there for few months and then flew home, saw my missus and kids, hadn’t seen them for a while, and basically said: ‘I’m going to Ukraine.’

"So it's a big shock. I feel a bit sorry for them to be fair, they were pretty upset, but people need me here.”

Helen Grant has been contacted for comment.