WE'RE READY to help.

That's the message from cities and towns in Hampshire as they say they will provide homes for some of the desperate families fleeing from war-torn Syria.

Hundreds of the county's residents have already stepped forward to help those in need by donating items that will be sent to some of the refugees who have been forced to leave their homeland by the brutal conflict that continues there.

And now some of Hampshire's councils have also said they will do their bit, with leaders in Southampton and Winchester saying homes will be provided for people fleeing from the Middle Eastern nation.

It comes after Prime Minister David Cameron announced that Britain would resettle up to 20,000 refugees over the next four-and-a-half years.

Mr Cameron said the UK would only take in refugees from camps in the Middle East, and not those who have crossed the Mediterranean into Europe in recent months.

He told the House of Commons: ''In doing so, we will continue to show the world that this country is a country of extraordinary compassion, always standing up for our values and helping those in need.''

The unfolding conflict in Syria between extremist group ISIL and President Assad's forces has led to thousands of people leaving the nation in desperate search of a safe haven.

Pressure on the UK to house more refugees has mounted recently, after images of the body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, who drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, were widely broadcast.

A new group called Southampton Action has been formed to organise donations and they say they were overwhelmed by the support they received from the public in Hampshire.

And now councils say they will look to provide new homes for some of the refugees, although detailed discussions about how many each authority will take are yet to take place.

Southampton City Council leader Simon Letts, pictured below, said the authority would expect to take on 20 people under current predictions, saying: "We absorb 42,000 students every year so we can cope with this and maybe some more, and especially when the Government is funding it.

"We have got a great history in this city of taking in refugees - there is a plaque on the library commemorating the fact that we accepted 4,000 children during the Spanish Civil War."

He said the council itself would probably not provide housing but it would coordinate the effort to find homes through private landlords and faith communities.

Winchester City Council leader Stephen Godfrey said: "Winchester has a proud track-record of helping people in need – the Zimbabwe refugee crisis is one example.

“We are waiting to hear what Government is asking of local authorities, but we are already gearing up to work with colleagues at Hampshire County Council, registered housing providers and private landlords.”

He said the council's housing team is looking at how refugees will be housed, including keeping some properties that are scheduled for sale or launching a new scheme to encourage home-owners with spare rooms to take in lodgers or tenants with council support.

Cllr Stephen Godfrey

Sean Woodward, leader of Fareham Borough Council, said the council was "ready to help" but said: "We've got 1,200 families on our housing waiting list and the most immediate help we would be able to assist with would be through short-term bed and breakfasts.

"We need to know what the ask is, how will it be funded and how will it work."

The leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Ian Carr, said: “We shall be supporting the Government’s new approach to the situation and are waiting to hear the details of the responsibilities that they will be looking for local authorities, such as ourselves, to take on.”

He told the Echo plans to receive migrants depend on the numbers coming and when they would arrive, but added: “We will find something somewhere. What has happened to them is horrendous and you would not wish it on anybody. I am sure people will welcome them and we have already had people asking us what needs to be done to help.”