TOWN councillors have rejected a school girl's plea to house at lease one Syrian refugee family, a meeting has heard.

Ringwood Town Council's policy and finance committee was urged to reconsider a decision made in October last year that no Syrians be welcomed into the community by sixth former Elvie Karkera.

Her beliefs were echoed by Ringwood School sixth form student Oscar Jenkinson who told last Wednesday's meeting (JAN 18) that he hoped "barriers could be overcome by working together as a community".

But councillors said that unless there was a landlord in Ringwood willing to accept a financial hit as a result of offering housing at a social rate rather than at a private one, housing refugees would not be an option.

The meeting heard from deputy clerk Jo Hurd who said that both Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council had signed up to the Government's resettlement programme and procedures were in place to accept refugees.

"The barrier to resettling a family in Ringwood is the unavailability of suitable housing and that the programme would cover rent up to the housing allowance, which was less than the market value," she said.

Adam Skirton, of Poulner Baptist Church, said that the church community would support a Syrian family in Ringwood and outlined how help had been provided for homeless people in the town.

Geoff Ridgeway, from Ringwood Rotary, supported Ringwood School's pleas and commended the students for their enthusiasm over the cause.

Councillors supported his comments but concluded that both the district and county councils were the authorities responsible for offering such services and any campaign should be taken to those authorities.