Sick children from Chernobyl got the chance to enjoy the fresh air of the Oxfordshire countryside during a month-long stay.

A group of 40 children aged seven to 17 – have arrived in the south of England from the village of Ozarichi, about 19 miles from the exclusion zone set up after the 1986 nuclear disaster.

All the youngsters suffer serious health problems, ranging from birth defects to leukaemia.

Eight of the visitors are staying with families in Carterton, Burford and Bampton.

Megan Skinner, of Chernobyl Children Lifeline, which helped to organise the visit, said: “This is really an immune system booster holiday – it’s almost respite care.

“This holiday will allow children for a whole month to breathe clean air and eat clean food – non-radiated.

“There is nowhere for these people to go as it will take 1,500 years to clear the air in Chernobyl.

“By just being here for these four weeks, it cleans out their internal organs so that they can go back and the radiation won’t affect them for another two years.”

During their stay, the children are going on canal boat trips, trying their hand at taekwondo and going horseriding with the New Yatt Riding for the Disabled group, in New Yatt, near Witney.

They will also visit opticians and dentists where they will receive check-ups and treatment free of charge.

The link has been running trips for children from the Chernobyl area for the past four years.

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