The leader of Barnet Council says the borough will resettle 50 Syrian refugees as part of wider commitments made by the UK government to resettle 20,000 by 2020.

The pledge, by cllr Richard Cornelius, was made at a Citizens UK event on Sunday.

He said: “It is impossible to feel anything other than compassion towards those being impacted by the horrendous conflict in Syria.

“Barnet will play its part in helping the Government achieve its commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK by 2020 and we await further details about what this means for London.

“In the meantime, we have set up a web page [barnet.gov.uk] offering guidance for residents and businesses who want to offer their support.”

It comes after Camden and Haringey councils issued their own pledges to resettle Syrian refugees, as well as local community groups.