HEREFORDSHIRE Council says it urgently needs homes for refugees in Hereford and Leominster.

The council says it can offer a two year lease with guaranteed monthly incomes and no void loss to landlords with three or four bedroom properties.

Herefordshire Council’s cabinet agreed to support more refugees as part of the Home Office’s various resettlement schemes in December 2017.

The council was asked by the Home Office to consider taking more refugees and asylum seekers over the next year, following the successful resettlement of 60 Syrian refugees during the previous year.

Speaking at the time councillor Paul Rone, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “When the big hearted county of Herefordshire agreed to welcome and re-settle 60 Syrian refugees in 2015, we certainly didn’t envisage just how well the families would settle into their new homes and fully integrate into their local communities.

“The scheme has been a great success, with 14 families safe and happy in Herefordshire, and I’m pleased that we now have seven individuals volunteering within the county, while four have found employment.

“The Home Office is now asking us to consider taking additional refugees, as it continues with its different resettlement schemes.

“We’ve been able to demonstrate that our public services, local communities and voluntary sector can provide the necessary support to enable families to successfully integrate into the county and develop independence; therefore we’re now in a position to support up to 40 asylum seekers and 35 refugees in family groups.”

Anyone wishing to help or to find out more should call 0121 663 1443.