Lincolnshire receives first Syrian refugees

The government has pledged to take 20,000 Syrians by 2020

Lincolnshire has taken its first Syrian refugees, the county council has confirmed.

Two families have been settled in the county in the past few months with several more expected in the near future, the authority said.

Previously the council said it could not offer places to refugees without government funding. It said government funding was now in place.

The government has pledged to accept 20,000 Syrians by 2020.

Debbie Barnes, Lincolnshire County Council's head of paid service, said: "We have already accepted two families into the county and we are working with our partners to see how we can support more."

She said five more families were expected to be settled over the next few months.

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Lincolnshire is already home to about 100 young asylum seekers, according to the council.

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Last February, the government announced it was considering whether the UK should agree to resettle more refugees from the Syrian war, once it hit its target of bringing in 20,000 by 2020.

It was claimed at the time 10,538 people had been granted refuge under the Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme.

The original target was set by David Cameron in 2015.