RYANAIR has been slammed after charging a retired York firefighter £60 to carry his firefighting kit as he headed on a mission to war-ravaged Ukraine.

Bruce Reid, a former watch manager at Acomb fire station, has gone to Ukraine to help tackle fires in the hope of allowing a Ukrainian firefighter to take up arms and fight the Russian invaders.

But he posted on Facebook from Leeds Bradford Airport: "I've just been charged £60 by Ryanair to take my firefighting kit to the Ukraine. Unbelievable."

Scores of people have posted critical comments on Ryanair's stance, with one typical comment being:" Shame on Ryanair, absolutely disgusting."

And the North Yorkshire branch of the FBU (Fire Brigades Union) tweeted: "Shame on Ryanair for charging retired FBU national member MBE and retired North Yorkshire Fire Watch Manager Bruce Reid €60 to take his fire kit onboard to help firefight in the Ukraine. Good luck Bruce, respect and stay safe, pal."

The budget airline has been offered opportunity by The Press to comment but has not yet done so.

Bruce, who lives in Knaresborough, posted that he hadn't thought he'd be donning full fire kit again anytime soon, and thanked Jon Foster at North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service for re issuing his kit.

"I'm now able to go to the Ukraine to allow a Ukrainian firefighter to possibly take up arms and fight," he said.

He said he was flying out to Poland on Sunday afternoon before getting transferred to the Polish Ukrainian border and would 'take it from there.'

Bruce, who retired from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2020 after 36 years working across the county, including York, explained his decision to go to Ukraine to Sky News:“I think everybody would think ‘is there something I can do?'

“I went through the same thought process. I’m recently retired from the fire service. So perhaps I could put that to some use, if it would do some good.

“I made some inquiries to the Ukrainian embassy, to see if they would need my services as a recently retired firefighter. That’s the only reason why I’ve come here.”

He added that he would not want to participate in the fighting.

“I don’t want to have a crash course in the use of an AK47,” he said.

“But if I can get to a fire station in Ukraine and help them then I might be doing my bit.”

Bruce, who received an MBE in 2015 for his services both as a firefighter and for charity, retired from the North Yorkshire service in 2020 after 36 years working across the county, including York.

The Press reported last year how he was one of a small number of British firefighters who made it to New York in the days after the Twin Towers were attacked on 9/11 to attend the funerals of New York firefighters.