THE Duloch Spider-man has raised more than £1,000 for families in Ukraine.

Alongside his kids, eight-year-old Lucy, and nine-year-old Liam, Dave Roper spent last Saturday running six kilometres in his spider-suit to raise money for disabled children in the country.

After launching his appeal, Dave has already raised an impressive £1,660 and has promised to donate all money raised through birthday visits and other events to the cause.

He says he spent "several days" looking for the right cause before eventually finding Bright Kids Charity, who are supporting Ukrainian families struggling to escape conflict due to having children with disabilities.

"I wanted to show my support and solidarity with Ukraine and I spent several days looking online for the right cause," Dave explained.

"All of my fundraising over the last few years has been to support disabled and autistic children.

"As soon as I found Bright Kids, I knew that’s who I wanted to raise funds for.

"What they are doing is incredible, and it’s clear how much these families truly need the support."

The ex-soldier pushed wheelchair-user Liam, while Lucy kept up pace beside him.

Both children are autistic, which inspired Dave to start his fundraising mission.

In the past, he has raised £30,000 for military charities, and more than £100,000 for children's charities, which include Calaiswood School, where Liam attends, Edinburgh Sick Kids, and Glasgow children's hospitals.

He added: "I genuinely believe that it is our duty to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

"What’s happening in Ukraine right now is absolutely heartbreaking.

"We are powerless to physically help. Providing funds to help disabled families who are stuck in the middle of a foreign invasion is the least that we can do."

Bright Kids focus on helping families of children with disabilities all over the world and individually care for the families who are reliant on them.

Currently, they are helping those with limited access to resources in Ukraine, as supplies dwindle and air raid sirens sound.

Natalie Blinder, the charity founder, said: "These families have no money, no vehicles, and no resources. Even with all those things, they would face 36-hour-long waits to cross a border, excluding the travel time to get to the border.

"Additionally, the needs of a child who is immobile or who has exceptional needs are highly vulnerable to illness that could be induced by exposure, stress and malnutrition.

"Regular transport is not sufficient for the healthcare needs of many children with disabilities. The prospect of fleeing is less than a dim hope for these families.

"There is no medical transport coming to evacuate these kids. They do not own cars, nor can they hire them. All they can do is wait."

You can follow Dave's journey on his Facebook page, Duloch Spiderman, and donate to his GoFundMe here: https://gofund.me/db8d3ff0