SYRIAN families fleeing their war-torn country will be offered refuge in South Cumbria as plans to prepare for their arrival continue.

While the first group of refugees arrived in the north of the county earlier this year, Barrow has been busy putting plans in place.

The first group to be rehoused in the town are now expected to be welcomed in October.

Dave Pidduck, leader of Barrow Borough Council, said: "After everything those people have gone through, we want everything to be ready for them when they arrive. It must have been an incredible trauma that we can only imagine.

"We don't want them to arrive from that and go straight into a strange place, welcomed and then left on their own.

"We want to make sure everything is in place and ready for when they arrive."

Barrow has been left waiting after it was announced Cumbria would join the national scheme, with a small number of families welcomed to Carlisle and Eden in April.

Mr Pidduck said: "We decided as a county that we didn't want a group of them to arrive and then send some here and some there. We wanted to try and make sure they're all kept close enough together to help them settle in easier with a kind of mutual self-support.

"It was decided the north would have the first group and then once that happened we can welcome later groups.

"We're only talking about small numbers but we want to play our part as a town and as a county."

The council leader also praised the town's eagerness to show their support, saying: "I think Barrow has a great tradition of supporting people in their hour of need.

"Looking back historically, we welcomed Polish families here to fight against the Nazis and we welcomed people from Yugoslavia when the problems there broke out.

"Barrow has always welcomed people whatever the circumstances. This programme is nothing new."

Read more:
Plans to rehome hundreds of refugees in Cumbria.

First group of Syrian refugees not to be resettled in Barrow.