Christmas in Journal-land will bring hope and security to refugees whose lives have been devastated by disaster.

For the first asylum seekers to arrive in Atherton, nightmare thoughts of missing loved ones and burnt-out homes will always be with them.

After being greeted by caring locals and local authority workers, the first of the refugees destined for Hag Fold estate were given a cooked meal at Atherton Salvation Army then settled for their first night in council accommodation.

Altogether 16 flats and three houses on the estate have been earmarked for the refuge seekers.

Their spokesman Marside Alle, 17 - the only one who speaks English - told The Journal how she and her husband Dritan, a 27 year-old farmer, had fled to safety.

And how grateful they were for the chance of peace and safety.

"We have been made very welcome and we are grateful," said Marside.

"We left Kosovo on February 5 and our relatives have informed us our homes were bombed. We don't know where some of our relatives are. "We were living with friends in Montenegro and some of our family raised the money to pay for us to come here.

"We travelled in lorries and it cost 4,000 Deutschmarks each (about £1,350). That was a lot of money for them.

"Now we will celebrate the New Year and hope to find our families and return home to live in peace. We are thankful for the help we are receiving and for somewhere to live."

On Monday they were with another couple Kujtim, 21 and Lindile, 16 and single men Samin, 23 and Anton, 27 - the only Catholic in an otherwise Muslim group.

The Muslims won't be celebrating Christmas but plans are in hand to invite them in to local homes to enjoy festive hospitality and food.

Atherton Councillor Sue Loudon praised the way locals had accepted the newcomers: "There have been many offers of help. It has been excellent.

"We are trying to put them in touch with organisations who may help them further and we are trying to arrange English lessons with Wigan and Leigh College."

Cllr Joe Clarke also acknowledged the efforts being made to settle the refugees: "The support team has been wonderful."

And Hag Fold resident John Burke of Car Bank Street urged fellow locals to continue Atherton's tradition of helping people in need.

"All over the world political refugees are the victims of barbarism. If you don't have socialism you get barbarism.

"I know I speak for many of the people of Hag Fold in welcoming political refugees to our area, wherever they come from and we will try and help them to come to terms with traumatic experiences they left behind."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.