Richmond borough is in the top ten list of areas across the UK where visas have been granted for refugees from Ukraine.

So far, some 91 visas have been approved for people who plan to find a home with families from the borough under the Homes for Ukraine Sponshorship Scheme.

The news is confirmation that families from Richmond and Twickenham have been at the forefront of efforts to support the people of Ukraine.

This has been most vividly demonstrated by the team of volunteers operating out of the Ukrainian restaurant, Prosperity, Twickenham, which has sent huge quantities of emergency aid to the war-torn country.

Schools, volunteers and businesses across the area have donated tens of thousands of pounds worth of items to the cause.

And this Sunday, the café will be hosting a new social club for refugees under the banner, 'Hello, I'm from Ukraine'. It will be held at 12 noon to welcome refugees to the area.

The UK government and the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, have been condemned for failures around the refugee scheme. Associated red tape has made it difficult for desperate women and children to seek refuge in Britain, despite the outpouring of support from British families.

The Twickenham MP, Munira Wilson, says her staff are routinely being kept on hold for up to three hours as they try to arrange safe passage to the UK.

The figures on visa numbers have been published by the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

The scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor.

The top 10 of council areas where visas have been granted so far are led by Buckinghamshire at 151; ahead of Barnet at 132; Edinburgh at 116; Camden at 107; Wiltshire at 102; Kensington & Chelsea at 97; Ealing at 94; Bromley at 92; Richmond upon Thames at 91; and Wandsworth 91.

The figure for Kingston upon Thames is put at 66.