THE announcement that Cotswold District Council will provide homes for Syrian refugees has provoked a mixed response.

Many councillors are pleased to welcome families from the other side of the world but some readers fear that the refugees will be a drain on resources or even pose a risk to security.

These people need homes and good sanitation and they are not getting that in the refugee camps they are staying in across Europe.

They are desperate people who have had their world turned upside down by the Syrian civil war and the menace that is so-called Islamic State. Like any human being they need a safe place to stay and local authorities should welcome them with open arms.

Each refugee family will be security cleared so residents should not fear that they are any form of threat.

The agonising image of a tiny boy washed up on a Turkish beach should serve as a reminder to us all that these people are desperate and they need our help.

Cotswold District Council have chosen to accept five refugee families into the district and it hasn’t been confirmed whether that number will increase.

Every council across the country needs to do its bit to help the government achieve its target of welcoming about 20,000 refugees from Syria and CDC is showing compassion to these unfortunate people by taking on its share.