Honiton: Local café owner offers free food to Ukrainian truck drivers, telling Nub News she 'tries to make the world a better place'

Sue Nicholson has run Smileys of Honiton since 1998, and she is offering free food and drinks to any Ukrainian truck drivers who visit her café.

Smileys Café is located in the truck park in Honiton and they often have Ukrainian truck drivers visiting the café.

On Thursday 24 February, the Russian military begun to invade Ukraine, and, since then, fighting has intensified. The situation is developing rapidly, and at the time of writing there were calls for a ceasefire.

Sue, who lives in Chard, posted this message on Facebook: "Any Ukrainian truck drivers, you will not be charged for food or drink at Smileys Café EX14 1BQ, this is Honiton, Devon.

"Free overnight parking, toilets currently being repaired. I understand you may not be able to access your bank account: we are happy to help you. Please share."

It isn't the first time Sue has helped people affected by conflict, and she says she loves to help when she can.

Sue told Nub News: "When the war was on in Afghanistan, every week I would get shoe boxes from shops and fill them up for our troops. It was free posting, and the boxes were free, so it was what went inside. I did this for months and it made me happy to help."

The invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of refugees has made Sue want to help again.

Sue continued: "I do not have links to the country [Ukraine] but I get a lot of European drivers in, and I want to help.

"The Ukrainian drivers, some speak good English and some don't, so we show them the bacon and egg and they nod and we smile and it can be a good bit of banter.

"But this is me being me, I live to help and make someone happy, I have always been the same.

"I am just a wife, mum and nan and I care about people, and try to make the world a better place."

You can read the latest developments in Ukraine here

If you would like to help support the residents of Ukraine, you can make a donation here