THE district council has launched a website which gives information for those who want to give a helping hand to those caught up in the Syrian refugee crisis.

Councils across the country are awaiting details of the government’s plans to accommodate 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020.

The county council is leading on the response but district and borough councils, including Cotswold District Council (CDC), are ready to respond positively when allocations are made known.

In the meantime, CDC has launched a new web page to bring together information for residents who wish to offer more general support.

Cabinet member for health, environment and communities at CDC, Sue Coakley, said: “We have received a number of calls asking how people can help the plight of Syrian and other refugees by donating, money, goods or providing housing. By pulling together the various strands of information we have received, we have established a web page which should hopefully point residents in the right direction