A WOMAN from Bradninch who is in the process of buying a house for a Syrian refugee family last week expressed her shock after she was told that Mid Devon District Council, with whom she had been working to provide a home for such a family, did not have capacity to support her plan and wanted to pull out of the project.

Anthea Duquemin said that this was after a Mid Devon District Council representative had visited the home she is in the process of buying.

It was after her mother’s death that she had been left money in the will unexpectedly and she then decided to use it to buy a house in Crediton, where a family could be homed under the government’s Syrian Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement Scheme (VPRS).

Mid Devon Council approved her choice of house and she went ahead with the purchase - set to be completed by the end of the month - only for the council to withdraw from the project.

Ms Duquemin said she "could not believe it".

She said: “I was totally totally shocked and I had to ask them to put it in writing to me because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

"Mid Devon Council made a commitment to contribute to the government’s scheme by supporting up to five families."

In a statement Mid Devon District Council said it would discuss the matter at a meeting of the council’s Homes Policy Development Group, which will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, June 18.

"A briefing paper regarding the council’s involvement in this (VPRS) scheme has been prepared and is due to be discussed by members," it said.

"Until their discussions have taken place it would be inappropriate to comment further."

Crediton campaigners for more homes for refugees will be attending the meeting along with Crediton Mayor, Cllr Frank Letch.

Mid Devon District Council has been asked by the government to accommodate five refugee families under the scheme but has only been able to support two families to-date.