OPINIONS are passionately divided on how to tackle the escalating refugee crisis – so it will take courage to take a lead.

It is our opinion that Britain has to act with compassion and we warmly welcome Darlington having the moral courage to show leadership.

Darlington Borough Council leader Bill Dixon will inevitably face criticism from some residents for pledging to give ten refugee families a home.

We will not be among those critics. Indeed, we applaud him for setting an example to council leaders throughout the country.

As The Northern Echo said yesterday, we cannot simply stand by and watch desperate, terrified families die in their bid to escape the horror of Syria.

We cannot look at that symbolic picture of little Aylan Kurdi, whose body was washed up on a Turkish beach, and hope that the problem will go away. It won’t.

Britain is waking up to the tragic reality of what is happening and public reaction has forced David Cameron to think again. Today he has announced that the United Kingdom will take in “thousands” more Syrian refugees and donate a further £100m in humanitarian aid for refugee camps in Syria, Turkey, Jordan and the Lebanon.

It must be part of a short-term response born out of basic, life-saving compassion – and it must be followed by a long-term strategy to get to the root of the problem.

That, of course, is much easier say than to achieve but it must be the world’s aim.

There are lots of questions about the practicalities, not least where will the rescued refugees live?

But the urgency of what’s happening demands an immediate humanitarian response.

Well done to Bill Dixon and Darlington for showing the way.