SOUTHAMPTON is on 24-hour standby to take in hundreds of Kosovan refugees.

The Daily Echo broke the news on Saturday that flights bringing refugees into Britain were to be dramatically stepped up shortly from weekly to daily - and that Southampton has agreed to take in as many desperate families as it can cope with.

Home Secretary Jack Straw confirmed yesterday that Britain could be accepting flights of up to 1,000 refugees each week, with every part of the country expected to take some in.

The government has promised to reimburse local authorities for the costs of caring for the homeless ethnic Albanians.

Southampton's social services director John Beer is in charge of finding emergency accommodation for potentially hundreds of Kosovars in and around the city.

He said he was in urgent talks with health authorities and health trust, as well as neighbouring authorities.

"We are trying to identify places that could be used to house refugees, like the old Netley Castle hospital. It needs to be somewhere unoccupied that can be made up to a good standard quickly.

"We don't know how many we will have to take yet but we could have as little as 24 hours' notice they are on their way.

"The people of Southampton have identified with these people and their plight and we believe they want us to do something to help, so that is what we are going to do.

"We share the Echo's view that we have to stand up and be counted on this one," he added.

The government is aiming to rehome the refugees in groups of about 200 at a time.

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