IT IS sad to see the unreasonable attitudes towards Syrian refugees displayed by two of your correspondents. Jim Sokol (Letters, December 21) complains that accommodation can be found for refugee families while some of our own people are sleeping rough. But Oxford is one of the richest cities in the UK: we could easily afford to house everybody if the Government would let councils charge enough in council tax from those who can afford upwards of £1m for a house in our area, and also remove charitable status from rich colleges such as Christ Church. You are blaming the wrong people, Jim. It’s the Tory Government who are the villains of the piece. They are responsible for homelessness, not struggling refugees. Do not set these two deserving groups of people against each other – you are falling for an old trick if you do that.

Then Mark Pritchard (Letters, December 22) complains that young men ‘of Middle Eastern appearance’ came calling at his door and connects them with refugees. They could have been from any part of the world, including down the road in Oxford itself, and might have been collecting for charity or warning him his drains were overflowing. But no, they must be the result of immigration and intend some dastardly purpose.

Let us hope that readers such as Jim and Mark are in a tiny minority and that most of us can be more rational – and more generous in their judgements.

JANE JAKEMAN

Merewood Avenue, Sandhills