A father and his 12-year-old son visited refugee camps on Greek islands this half term to help distribute food and clothing.

Malik and Zakariah Awan, of Fulbourne Road, Walthamstow, transported suitcases of aid from February 15 to 20 to the Greek islands of Samos and Chios.

The refugees come from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, get registered on the islands and await documentation in camps before heading off across Europe.

His son Zakariah, who attends Woodbridge High School in Woodford Green, and other members of the family raised £1,500 in a sponsored five-kilometre Swim for Syria at Chingford Leisure Centre back on February 5.

Malik said he was inspired by images of refugees walking down the motorway in Budapest in September last year.

The 38-year-old then visited the camps back in November helping to distribute containers of food and clothing to refugees who had arrived in boats.

Malik said: “I saw the refugee crisis on the news last year in mainland Europe and thought I needed to help out.

“It is organised chaos there and 80 to 90 per cent of food and clothing comes from volunteers so they are in desperate need.”

Malik then went back to the islands with his son in half term, collecting ten 32kg suitcases of shoes after an appeal on Facebook group Walthamstow SOS and with help from the University of East London.

During the five days, they set up a makeshift cinema with a projector showing Wallace & Gromit and handed out popcorn and biscuits to the children.

He said: “It is just to give a bit of normality back to the children and distract them with some activities such as face painting.

“In November there was no system in place but not there is a better system of handling refugees and their needs.

“The situation has definitely improved.

“The Greeks are trying to do the best they can and it is fantastic what they are doing but they need help.”