A WARM welcome awaits Kosovan refugees when they arrive to live in Burnley - with a £450 knees-up planned by well-wishers.

That's the amount councillors have granted to a community group to provide a welcoming party for the five families due to move into council houses on the town's Griffin estate next month.

The money comes from the town's Challenge Fund Community Chest which gives grants to groups to encourage them to become involved in voluntary work.

When the 12-strong Sunny Clough Community Project steering group applied for cash for the party, members of the general purposes committee readily agreed.

They heard that apart from welcoming the refugees, currently housed at Calderstones reception centre, Whalley, the group aims to be involved in supporting the families and helping them settle down in Burnley.

Burnley council last month agreed to spend £60,000 improving up to eight empty council houses to provide a homely welcome for the evacuee families.

Most of the cash will be recovered from a special Government grant, with the remainder coming by way of rent income.

Council housing officers said some of the refugees had already visited the town - and liked what they saw, particularly the town centre.

Council housing manger Steve Tilly said today work on renovating the properties was under way and it was expected the families would move into town by the end of November.

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