IN a political climate where the word refugee is almost an expletive, Green Party members are brave for suggesting Stroud should welcome asylum seekers with open arms.

But it is the right thing to do. The figure of 40,000 refugees needing a home sounds daunting, but when broken down to show just how few people each area in each EU member state would have to take on, it is clearly manageable.

Stroud could cope with taking in just 10 refugees. Yes, money would have to be found to feed and house these people, but we must remember that they are exactly that – people.

As a wealthy nation, Britain can afford to help those less fortunate, and we should do just that.