THE leader of Bury Council is calling on the Government to take action to help desperate refugees risking their lives to flee persecution.

As the migrant crisis continues, Councillor Mike Connolly, has backed humanitarian calls for UK towns and cities to do more to help refugees.

He said: “Bury stands ready to play our part to help people who have fled appalling conditions in war-torn countries and are desperate for sanctuary.

“These recent dreadful pictures have brought home the sheer scale of what is a human tragedy.

“We rightly pride ourselves in being a compassionate country, and have a long and proud history of offering shelter to those fleeing persecution.

“This does not mean having an ‘open door’ to anyone who wishes to come here.

“We therefore call on the Government to show some leadership and to draw up a proper country-wide action plan on who we should take and where they should live – and, just as importantly, provide the resources needed to enable us to help.”