UNIVERSITY accommodation will be used to house Ukrainian refugees, a spokeswoman has said.

The University of Winchester is offering help "wherever possible" to keep Ukrainian refugees safe due to the ongoing war with Russia.

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The spokeswoman said: "We are working hard to offer whatever support we can, including making use of university accommodation to house refugees wherever possible. We are working with others in Winchester on a coordinated and welcoming response.

"We remain deeply troubled by the war in Ukraine and are in touch with students and staff who may be directly affected to offer our support."

The university is working closely with Winchester City of Sanctuary, Winchester City Council, Council for At-Risk Academics and Universities UK

She said: "An immediate priority is identifying accommodation we can provide to those who have been displaced as a result of the war.

"As a University of Sanctuary, we will also be looking at how we can support displaced undergraduate students seeking asylum to join us in Winchester, just as we did following the conflict in Afghanistan.

"We join with colleagues across the sector in condemning this invasion and fully endorse the Universities UK statement on this issue."

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Last week, the university hosted a collection point on campus for items to be sent to Ukraine.

In a recent statement published on the universities website, Universities UK said: "The appalling decision of the Russian Government to invade Ukraine, and the consequences of this profoundly disturbing action, will affect many people across the higher education community. We unequivocally condemn the invasion and express our support for Ukrainian universities, staff and students."