A DEDICATED mother-of-five is giving up a family Christmas to travel to the Ukraine to monitor the country's Boxing Day election.

Redcar and Cleveland Council's head of democracy and civil registration Zohrah Zancudi is one of 90 UK volunteers who will fly into Kiev for a week-long stay as international election observers.

She has been recruited on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Zohrah, who was due to leave Britain on Wednesday, admits it was one of the hardest decisions she has had to make.

She said: "It will be the first Christmas I've spent in 22 years without my own children. But I believe passionately in democracy."

The council's cabinet member for corporate resources, Coun Glyn Nightingale, said: "Zohrah's decision to sacrifice her family Christmas is infinitely above and beyond the call of duty - but it is absolutely typical of her.

"She's not only a dedicated and highly valued officer for the borough, she is completely committed to the cause of democracy."

As she prepared to say goodbye to husband Tony Eastwood, Teesside's deputy coroner, along with her three youngest children, 11-year-old Zohrah, James, 12, and Bryn, 13, she admitted: "It will be a little bit emotional for me on Christmas Day.

"But the children will have Christmas dinner with their dad.

"The family will have another Christmas dinner when I get back on the 30th and we'll have a bigger 'do' at New Year."

She said: "We've had a family conference and the children were a little bit upset, but fully supportive.

"Mind you, one of them wrote 'No Ukraine' on my dirty car window!"

Zohrah has been involved in both the previous elections, first in the south-east of the country, which was a Yanukovic stronghold, then the north-west, a pro-opposition conclave.

"There were clearly problems with the election process.

"It was going to have to be repeated," she said.

"On Christmas Day, I expect to be travelling around checking arrangements for the poll on Boxing Day."