A St Albans couple have been left "overwhelmed" by the response to a fundraiser which has allowed a son to visit his terminally ill father for the first time in almost a decade.

Trever Laporte, 34, hasn't seen his father for eight years after moving to St Albans from Seychelles, where he met his wife Dawn.

The high cost of flights to the popular holiday destination has prohibited him from visiting home, with prices often skyrocketing at popular times of year.

Last Friday (July 19) he received the worst possible news - his dad, now in his 70s, was terminally ill and had been admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).

Over the weekend it became clear that he was not going to live much longer.

Dawn, 44, explains that the news came at "the worst possible time", with the start of the school holidays leading to a surge in the cost of flights.

She said: "We put out a GoFundMe to see if we could raise any money we could to try and get Trever out there.

"We didn't take the decision to set the fundraiser up lightly, as we really don't like asking for money.

"We've been blown away by the response. We've had donations from St Albans and from Seychelles, it's been a real community effort."

After just three days, enough money has been raised to cover the cost of a flight for Trever to be able to say his final goodbyes to his father, as well as attend the funeral and spend time with other family members that he hasn't seen in several years.

Trever, who works as a UPS driver in nearby Watford, says he is "made up" at the news and is looking forward to returning home.

Dawn added: "For him to be able to have that moment to say goodbye and see the rest of his family will be so important and such a special moment.

"I want to thank everyone who donated for their kindness, their care and their love. We feel very humbled by the response."