TWO Afghan families are to be settled in the Winchester district as part of the British Army withdrawl from the country.

Afghan interpreters and translators who worked with the British Army would be target for the Taliban which is again increasing its grip on the country.

The issue was raised at full Council by Cllr David McLean.

Winchester housed several families of Syrian refugees in 2015-16.

Cllr Kelsie Learney, portfolio holder for housing and asset management, said: "I believe it is right to support people who have supported the British forces in Afghanistan. Initially we will help two families and would be keen to help more in the future."

In the written answer, she said: "Our council has always stepped forward to assist those in need and members may recall the council were the first local authority in Hampshire to offer refuge to a family through the Syrian Refugee Resettlement scheme in December 2015. We have since supported a further seven families to successfully relocate to the Winchester district through the scheme.

"Hampshire County Council is coordinating a Hampshire wide response to the Afghan Locally Employed Staff (LES) Relocation scheme in partnership with the 11 districts and boroughs and is working on the principle from the Home Office scheme which requires each UK council to take 2 families in order to meet the identified relocation need.

"Families have already begun to arrive in the UK and our council has agreed to meet its request to relocate two families through a settled housing offer and a support package to help with the resettlement process."