MORE than a 100 Council workers have volunteered to help run Kosova refugee centres.

Locals will help maintain a shift rota helping run refugee centres set-up by Trafford Council during evenings and weekends.

The Wigan Council samaritans will try to reunite separated families.

They will work among the 140 refugees being housed in a former hostel and old people's home.

Involvement will include taking people to hospitals or surgeries, helping with shopping and organising sightseeing trips and generally bridging language and cultural barriers.

Wigan's assistant Director of Social Services Joe Blot said: "We are glad we can help. The majority of these refugees are in families and about a third of them are children.

"There are one or two single people."

Council Leader Cllr Peter Smith added: "I am proud of our staff's response to this call for help.

"This is the kind of activity for which only local government is really suited. Local councils are organised in such a way we can provide the necessary professionals and their expertise with minimum delay."

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