A MUSIC teacher from Stocklinch, near Ilminster, who has made arrangements to host an talented young Ukrainian musician said she is "embarrassed" after being told she is ineligible for the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Deanne Campbell, 52, submitted an application to bring Anastasiia Sandalova, 16, to the UK on March 29.

A bedroom and music room have been prepared for the teenager, as well as a full bursary to the Guildhall Young Artists Taunton's Saturday school, but Mrs Campbell has been informed by her council that unaccompanied under 18s travelling alone are ineligible.

"(Anastasiia is) mortified. I mean, I haven't given her the full bleak picture. I had to tell her something because she's literally been waiting by the phone ready to get a flight for weeks now," Mrs Campbell told the PA news agency.

"She's a very eloquent, determined young girl who's brave enough to leave her family ... and I had to tell her 'Oh, sorry. We'll pay for adults and children, but we won't pay for you.'

"A 16-year-old girl is exactly who child traffickers etc ... she would be most at risk from.

"And these are the people that the Government, Michael Gove's (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) office, (is) going we don't want them. We don't want that problem. As long as they're child trafficking out of the UK it doesn't matter.

"I'm kind of embarrassed because of the way my country and my government is behaving."

Mrs Campbell, a professional flautist, described Anastasiia as "extremely talented" pianist and guitarist and singer sings.

The teenager fled Kyiv with her mother and two-year-old sister two months ago. They have been staying on people's sofas in Montenegro since then.

Mrs Campbell has a bedroom and music room for the promising student and two schools have said they will take her.

She has also arranged a JustGiving page to raise money to support Anastasiia's music education.

She added: "I feel personally responsible that I've got this girl's and the mum's hopes up, that I'm providing a solution to her problem and that she's found someone that's not just a room - this is somebody that's got wheels in motion with her music and everything.

"And I've got to say 'nothing's going to happen'."

Somerset County Council said they assumed unaccompanied minors would not be eligible, but did not have "clear guidance".

A Government spokesperson said: "Due to safeguarding requirements, unaccompanied minors are only eligible under the Homes for Ukraine scheme if they are reuniting with a parent or guardian in the UK."