A SEASIDE town famous for its historic generosity throughout the Kindertransport is welcoming 20 Ukrainian refugees daily, figures suggest.

It is estimated that up to 20 Ukrainian refugees are arriving in Harwich every day as part of The Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The project, which was launched on March 12, allows UK residents to sponsor a named Ukrainian national or family to come to live with them, providing they have suitable accommodation to offer.

Russia invaded on February 24 and the conflict has killed untold numbers of Ukrainian civilians and forced millions more to flee.

Data from Essex County Council suggests there have been 803 requests from Ukrainians matched with 544 sponsors in the area, with applications being at various stages of checking and approval.

Stansted Airport is seeing greater numbers of Ukrainian arrivals, with on average 177 coming through arrivals every day last week.

Apart from Harwich, Southend is also expecting low numbers of refugees to arrive.

Harwich Mayor Ivan Henderson has expressed how proud he is with people’s generosity.

He said: “ This shows Harwich in its best light, its community spirit and care.

“It has always been a town that cares for others and we are seeing this now.

“We know the type of formal support which is coming from councils and the government but there is already support groups formed in Harwich which are not only there and waiting to support the families when they arrive here but also offering support to those still suffering the horrendous consequences of the war and president Putin’s cruel and evil attack on them.

“I pay tribute to those who have come forward to offer their homes as a safe sanctuary for people fleeing this horrendous and awful conflict.”

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “We continue to support Ukrainian families and their sponsors to help them settle into their new communities.

“This includes meeting any welfare needs as well as children and young people’s educational needs.

“We continue to work closely with schools to ensure that all children are placed in schools within a reasonable distance from their homes.”