A MUM who delivered aid to Calais refugees has called on her town to open its heart to the human crisis.

Stacey Green, 33, of Wallingford, delivered a car load of tents, toiletries and toys to the camp known as The Jungle last Wednesday with a friend Shabs Akhtar, from Oxford.

She is now planning a second trip in October with other friends and is asking people in Wallingford to donate.

Miss Green, who lives with partner Simon Brown and their eight-year-old son, Callum, in Croft Road, said the first trip opened their eyes, but it did not get off to a great start.

The former Wallingford School pupil, who grew up in Cholsey, said: “It was awful – the first greeting we had was the French police who sent us on a wild goose chase through torrential rain and thunderstorms.”

But when they finally got to the camp they were amazed by what they found.

She said: “They have businesses selling food, they have a library where they teach English and they have built a church.

“The church was fascinating, it was made of wood covered in tarpaulin with a big cross on top.”

She said the smells of delicious food being cooked which wafted through the camp were in stark contrast to the smell of the toilets.

“You never really get away from that,” she said. “To describe the toilet facilities would be horrific.”

She added: “These people haven’t come from the Third World or the 18th century, they’ve got smart phones. They are human beings trying to make the best of their lives.”

She said she and a group of friends decided to take action when they got tired of “negativity” in the news surrounding immigration.

After putting an appeal for donations on Facebook, she said she was amazed by the different reactions of people from Wallingford and surrounding villages.

She said: “Wallingford is an affluent area and some people seem to brush it under the carpet.

“I’m not saying open up the borders, I’m saying these people need to be treated like human beings, not a swarm of animals.”

To help, email sgreen82@hotmail.com