EMERGENCY plans have been drawn up to deal with the possible arrival of thousands of Kosovan refugees.

Lancashire County Council's emergency planning department has been meeting to discuss how the district will cope with the influx.

With Prime Minister Tony Blair announcing that Britain will begin to accept 1,000 refugees a week, the county council has brought together the health authority, the emergency services and voluntary organisations to discuss how best to deal with the refugees.

The Government has yet to confirm that any refugees will be sent to Lancashire but there have been unconfirmed reports that some could be housed at the former holiday camp at Middleton Sands. Announcing the Government's plans to increase the intake of Kosovans, Home Secretary Jack Straw said: "We're looking at all parts of the UK. We will initially house the refugees in reception accommodation before finding them in more stable accommodation."

A short statement from the County Council said: "The emergency planning department is co-ordinating contingency plans for receiving Kosovan refugees in Lancashire. The plans will include multi-agency action by local authorities, the emergency services and voluntary organisations throughout Lancashire. The relevant groups have already begun to have meetings to agree the plans."

City Council Leader Stanley Henig has said that he is extremely concerned about the plight of the refugees and that the council would do everything it could to help them.

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