Homes Under The Hammer Star Cries As Purchase For Ukrainian Children 'Rejected'

Homes Under the Hammer presenter Martin Roberts was left in tears after wholesale retailer Costco wouldn't let him buy more than two bottles of Calpol for Ukrainian children. You can watch the video below:

The presenter, usually better known for asking people 'why do you want to buy this place' and moving his hands like he's playing a piano on daytime TV, wanted to buy supplies for children in Ukraine suffering because of Vladimir Putin's invasion.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left thousands dead and forced more than 1.5 million people to flee the country, but many more are still stuck in the warzone.

Many Ukrainian civilians have been shelled by Russian forces, and some cities are under siege with no way out for people who are taking no part in the fighting.

Attempts to establish a humanitarian corridor have been unsuccessful after negotiated ceasefires were broken, dashing the hopes of thousands of civilians who planned to get away from the fighting.

Roberts took to social media to voice his frustration at not being allowed to buy as much as he wanted, with the 58-year-old in tears as he explained that Costco wouldn't allow him to buy more than two boxes of the children's medicine Calpol.

In the video he was overcome with emotion, declaring 'we've got to do what we can' and recounting how other shoppers bought more medicine to donate on his behalf when they realised what he was doing.

Roberts also contacted the retailer on Twitter to ask them whether they could set up collection bins for shoppers who wanted to buy supplies for Ukrainians trapped by Putin's invasion.

Costco declined to comment when approached by LADbible.

The reason why Roberts was unable to buy more than two boxes of Calpol is due to best practice guidelines for retailers which say sales of pain relief medicine should be limited to two boxes per customer.

This guidance is in place to balance a person's need for pain relief with the possibility that they might try to stockpile paracetamol and the risks of an overdose from taking too many in a short period of time, whether intentionally or inadvertently.

I wonder if @CostcoUK had some collection bins that people could just put donations in it would avoid this situation. Help me try to make it happen. pic.twitter.com/7fZ98DNs1u

— Martin Roberts (@TVMartinRoberts) March 5, 2022

Guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was drawn up due to evidence that people who buy pain relief medicine tend to 'impulsively' take larger amounts than they should.

It also suggests retailers avoid putting offers on pain relief medicine, which is why you don't tend to see promotional offers for paracetamol which encourages you to buy more than one box.

As for buying supplies and donating them to Ukrainians in need, there are a number of charities across the UK which are welcoming donations for refugees.

According to The Independent, it's best if you contact them ahead of time to ask what items they would welcome as their needs are changing all the time.

If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information.