FAMILIES across the city have pledged to open their doors and house vulnerable refugees desperately seeking shelter in the UK.

Community leaders, councillors and charitable organisations have said they will offer spare rooms within their homes to provide sanctuary to families fleeing war-torn Syria.

It came as Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday announced Britain would take “thousands more” refugees and vowed to provide an extra £100m in humanitarian aid.

Director of Cowley-based Oxford Islamic Information Centre, Hojjat Ramzy, said at least 50 families from the city’s Muslim community have already offered temporary shelter and food to refugees until they are able to return to their native soil.

He added: “The daily flood of images and news concerning the growing refugee crisis on the borders of Europe is truly heart-breaking. As a leading country on the world’s stage, we must help them and lead the rest of the world in doing the same.

“We have to help them. These are our brothers and sisters and they are dying by the thousands.”

Dr Ramzy said he was encouraging residents to contact the county’s MPs and councillors, urging the Government to allow more refugees to come to the country and stay with families as guests.

He said a team at the Cowley centre was also planning to launch a hotline next week for families needing more information about offering a room to refugees in need.

Museum worker Katherine Rose said she and partner Tim Walker would offer a spare room in their Woodstock Close home to any refugees needing shelter.

The 39-year-old said the pair were “unhappy” with the Government’s response to the “incredibly sad” refugee crisis and has written to Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood about her concerns.

She added: “We have been feeling powerless but we feel there is no excuse not to. We want to give some people a chance to rebuild their lives.

“People do not leave their homes and everything they know and love unless they are desperate.”

The city council said it could find shelter for at least 10 refugee families after receiving a letter from Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper urging local authorities to help.

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said: “We are very sympathetic to the issue, and ready to play our part. There are challenges because of the lack of housing in the city and question of funding.”

Mother-of-four Shabnam Sabir, of Glebelands, Headington, said the city needs to provide sanctuary, along with donations of food and clothing, to refugees.

The 41-year-old tutor, who said she would open her home to refugees in need, added: “There are innocent children who have absolutely no part to play in any of this.”

City councillor for Headington Mohammed Altaf-Khan said: “I want to concentrate on the humanitarian aid rather than how many numbers we can take. We need to help children who are dying.”