Kingston Council leader has once again urged people to open their homes to refugees from war-torn Syria after an earlier appeal led to only a handful of offers in the borough.

Councillor Kevin Davis said only three homes had come forward to house a refugee family a day before the July 31 deadline initially set for the new scheme.

The Syrian civil war is believed to have killed more than 200,000 people and displaced an estimated 11m more.

Coun Davis has now extended the deadline in the hope that the borough will be able to reach the target of welcoming 50 Syrians later in the year.

He said: “We probably only need between a dozen to 15 homes to sign up.

“I have been leading a call for councils to do more. It is an enormous human crisis.

“The Government is spending a huge amount of money in the region and we have got a role to play.”

Citizens UK have been trying to persuade London councils to house refugees, but have had little success because of limited social housing stock in the capital.

Coun Davis is asking for communities to open their homes with relocation funding being provided by the Home Office.

John Azah, chief executive at Kingston Racial Equality Council, said: “I think if you look at what is happening nationally then this is an extremely innovative idea even if it only brings a small number of refugees to Kingston.

“We want to encourage more people to come forward and lead the way showing what can be done for these people.”

Kingston and Surbiton MP James Berry said he was fully in support of Coun Davis’s plans.

He said: “The plight of innocent people displaced by the civil war in Syria is terrible. It’s plainly the right thing to do.

“I can’t see many people disagreeing with it – even [UKIP leader] Nigel Farage was supportive.

“Kingston taking 50 Syrian refugees is an important gesture and, if it is replicated by other local authorities it could have a big impact.”

If you are interested in housing a Syrian refugee, email david.hill@kingston.gov.uk or call 020 8547 5412.

To qualify for funding, homes must be self-contained and available for rent for at least 12 months.