A UK-based volunteer is raising money to help a Syrian family who have survived a kidnapping by Islamic State and lost two children to bomb attacks.

The family-of-five fled their home city of Homs, which has been all but destroyed by the fighting, and made it to Greece where they stayed in a military-run refugee camp.

Now London-based Gillian Seely is asking people to donate funds to help the family, who had resigned themselves to returning to Syria following two months struggling to survive in the camp, where they complained of a lack of food and facilities as well as difficulties trying to claim asylum.

Ms Seely said she and her husband Eric, who travelled to Greece last month to help the masses of refugees arriving there, met the Syrian family as they were leaving the camp in tears with their belongings in bin bags.

The mother, who used to work as a nurse, managed to escape with her daughter after being kidnapped by IS, and two of the family's children died in bomb attacks.

After hearing their plight, the volunteers used what little money they had left from their aid trip to put them up in a hotel and have since teamed up with a Spanish charity to fund their Airbnb accommodation.

So far they have raised more than £800 on their GoFundMe page.

Questioning the reaction of authorities to refugees hoping to claim asylum in Europe, American Ms Seely said it seemed as though volunteers were being left to help those who need it most.

In an online blog Ms Seely, who works with Pearson in London, wrote: "Sadly, our bank accounts will dry up, the Airbnb will expire and we will go through this cycle many times over with no guarantee of the border opening or these people being accepted.

"Our love for these people will not dry up. We (independent volunteers) will do what we can to help anyone we can in whatever way we can, even at great personal expense and risk ... but what does it say about a society when those elected to represent us choose to turn their backs? Elected officials: how do you want history to remember you? Are you going to put the entire burden on the shoulders of your people? We'll accept it, but we won't forget."

As well as sorting accommodation for the family, the volunteers are hopeful they can help them with their asylum claim.

Ms Seely said: "Our primary goal is getting them legal assistance and into a safe, long-term and legal situation."