23/12/2016 South Today

It's just over a year since David Cameron committed the UK

to helping 20,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the decade.

In the last 12 months more than 4,000 people have arrived

under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.

In the South Today area, councils have helped just 150.

60% of our councils have taken no Syrians at all,

including Havant, despite the council leader saying

"We are really supportive of assisting where we can".

So what do people in the borough think about the local response?

If they are genuine refugees then more needs to be done

but it needs to be proven that they are genuine refugees.

I think Havant should take at least a couple of hundred.

I think every council should, to be honest.

We can't even help the homeless around here,

or around Portsmouth, let alone refugees and all like that.

People leave their families. People run away from war to Europe

and it's happening again. It's not easy.

Havant Council says priority must be given to local families

Others are worried about who pays, although councils do get more

than ?8,000 to cover the first year costs of each refugee.

Argyll and Bute Council in the Scottish Highland and Islands

has a population of under 90,000 thousand -

has a population of under 90,000 - but it's taken 61 Syrians so far.

In the South, Wiltshire has led the charge with 47

and Winchester is now home to 22 refugees.

Ben Moore has been to meet one family who've recently arrived.

But Ahmed, his wife, and four children have been in the UK

Ahmed was a carpenter in Aleppo but when the war came,

We can't reveal exactly where they are living

but all they have has come from the people of Wokingham.

TRANSLATION: I feel comfortable and safe here and the people

of Wokingham are so kind and accepting.

They have given as all our furniture and they support us in every step.

They've brought gifts for the children and if they ask

them for anything, for any reason, they help.

This is all that remains of Ahmed's house after two bombs fell on it.

Two of his children were rescued after being trapped in the rubble.

Afterwards, the family fled but arrived here with nothing.

From a storage container, Wokingham's online women's group has

The lovely people of Wokingham have given everything from pillows,

to clothes, to furniture, sofas, fridges, everything

There are four other Syrian families in Wokingham.

This man has been here a year and helps those coming after him.

It's only to say thank you to everyone who support us.

We look for safe, yes, but we are looking to be

TRANSLATION: The most important thing is that my children should

learn English and should finish their education.

But, now, as a family, we are feeling much

Thanks to the generosity of the people in Wokingham,

the Syrian children will be getting a few presents

Meanwhile at Ringwood in Hampshire, the council has been

forced to look again at whether the town could offer

Last year one councillor said that would be a

But now they're reconsidering - after a petition

from sixth formers in the town - who believe more should be done.

A bravery award has been given to a police officer

who risked his own safety to help save the life

PC Stuart Dickerson was policing a Euro 2016 game in France,

when England supporters were attacked by Russian hooligans.

He helped medics to treat Andrew Bache, who's still struggling

In Marseille, the highly organised attack which dedicated football

himself in the midst of was savagely violent.

Probably 150-200 Russian hooligans stormed through the square

attacking any England fan they could find.

There were serious injuries all over the place.

Myself and colleague were attacked. We were in plain clothes.

At that time, we saw French police colleagues working on an

The injured man was lifelong Portsmouth supporter Andrew Bache

punched, kicked and hit on the head with a metal bar.

Because disorder was going on around us, bottles and chairs thrown,

fans being attacked, we got the French riot police

to form a protective cordon around us so Mr Bache

Friends of Mr Bache, who call him by his nickname Pepe,

to help with his recovery and longterm rehabilitation.

I've only got admiration for those two police officers

and the French policemen who gave Andrew CPR.

We might have been looking at a different outcome.

He's working really hard on physiotherapy

PC Dickerson is proud of his commendation but he says

he never wants to see violence on the scale of that again.

A musician from Southampton says he's "truly humbled" -

after people donated more ?100,000

to fund treatment abroad for his advanced bowel cancer.

is best known as the lead singer of the band Delays.

Doctors here say they can only offer him chemotherapy.

But his family are determined to get him treatment

Greg says he's "still reeling" at the public's generosity.

Of course, we wish Greg and his family

That's all from the South Today news team tonight.

Now Sarah Farmer's here with the festive forecast -

We have a mild Christmas in store but tonight a little on the fresher

side. Some clear spells overhead tonight. Just one or two isolated

sheltered spots catching a touch of Frost first thing tomorrow. A bright

and cheery start to the day with some good freshness and bright

conditions through much of the morning. The cloud increasing as the

day goes on. Highs of 10-11 degrees. Christmas Day looks like it will be

a mild day with outbreaks of light rain and drizzle but turning fresher

by the time big day? Christmas Day. It will stay

mild and temperatures could reach 14, 15. He is down bet that the

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