'Our son fought in Ukraine to stand up to bullies'

Callum Tindal-Draper, who died on the battlefield in Ukraine last month, experienced bullying as a teenager. His parents said he vowed he would not let anyone else around him be bullied - even whole countries.

The 22-year-old, from Gunnislake, Cornwall, was killed on 5 November after he volunteered for an infantry mission. He had been in Ukraine since June.

When he became aware of the conflict, his parents Steven Draper and Caroline Tindal said he told them: "I can't look back on my life in the future and know I stood by when people needed me and I did nothing."

The Foreign Office urges people not to travel to Ukraine while the country is in conflict with Russia.

His parents said they were proud of their son even though his decision to head towards a warzone was "absolutely devastating".

He was killed while defending an observation point.

Mr Draper said: "Although it broke our hearts to a degree that he was going to go out there, at the same time we were really, really proud that he had found the courage to stand up for what he truly believed in.

"Callum was bullied quite badly at school and it got to the point where he eventually vowed that he was never going to be bullied again.

"He went beyond that and said he was never going to let anyone around him get bullied again."

Mr Draper added: "He had this mission from his teenage years and that followed him through his time at college.

"He started saying he hated the thought of countries bullying other countries.

"So when he said he wanted to go to Ukraine, as a parent, it was absolutely devastating but we fully understood Callum's 'why' and he had our full support."

Ms Tindal described her son as "an amazing young man" but she wished she could change her son's mind after he volunteered for the mission.

"He didn't have to volunteer at all and sometimes I just want to shake him and say don't volunteer but it wouldn't be Callum," she said.

"It wouldn't be the boy and the man he turned into that we raised, who was always looking after everyone.

"I'm so proud of him. I'm so proud that he put others ahead of himself and it breaks our hearts that he went there.

"But what more can you ask for from your children, to be that proud of them?

"That is an inspiration that he has given us."

Mr Tindal-Draper joined the International Legion in June and after just five months, his commander described him as "bravest of the brave".

His unit also informed his parents that he had "the heart of a lion and the spirit of a dove", they said.

Mr Tindal-Draper's body is to remain in Ukraine - where his parents said he had "found his home".

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].