BURNLEY MP Julie Cooper and former Home Secretary Jack Straw have called for East Lancashire to take more asylum seekers.

They spoke as it emerged that the county has 450 refugees being supported by the Home Office. The majority are housed in Blackburn with Darwen under an agreement with the government with the remainder in Preston.

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Mrs Cooper and ex-Blackburn MP Mr Straw said it was now time for East Lancashire’s other boroughs to accept asylum seekers to relieve the tide of human misery heading Europe from war-torn countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Currently a maximum of 350 refugees are accommodated in Blackburn with Darwen under a 2012 deal with the Home Office and private company Serco brokered by Mr Straw. Preston later agreed to take 100 asylum seekers.

Overall the North-West has 7,450 refugees, up from 5,844 a year ago, the majority housed under similar agreements with boroughs in Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

Prime Minister David Cameron is under pressure to accept another 10,000 of the asylum seekers seeking to get into Europe on top of the current 30,000 in the UK which is up from 25,000 over 12 months.

Mr Straw said: “I am pleased that Serco and the Home Office have stuck to the limit of 350 refugees houses in Blackburn with Darwen.

“Now I think it is time for other boroughs in East Lancashire to take refugees as part of a wider dispersal across the UK as a whole.

“They should follow the example of Blackburn with Darwen and Preston and take their fair share. There is a flood of human misery heading to our shores and something needs to be done.”

Mrs Cooper said: “More East Lancashire boroughs, including Burnley, need to accept some of these refugees.

“The UK needs to do more. Burnley is a multi-racial town with a proud Lancashire tradition of hospitality to those in need.

“It and other boroughs in the county need to do their bit.”