Chernobyl victims enjoy holiday

Last year children from Chernobyl who visited Cornwall were taught to surf

A group of children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster are in Cornwall on a month-long visit.

About a dozen youngsters and their carers are staying with host families in the county and taking part in a number of activities during their stay.

The Chernobyl explosion in Ukraine in 1986 was the worst accident in the history of nuclear power.

The visit to Cornwall gives youngsters a chance to be away from the effects of the explosion.

About 60% of the radioactive fallout landed in Belarus.

It is predicted that thousands of people will die prematurely of leukaemia and cancer caused by fallout as a result of the disaster.

Chernobyl Children Life Line, which organises trips for groups of children to visit different parts of the UK, claims that spending a month away from their homeland helps extend their lifespan by up to two years.

Last year youngsters who visited Cornwall were taught to surf.