UP to 30 council homes are to be made available for asylum seekers in an area of the North-East.

Derwentside District Council made the promise after the North-East Consortium for Asylum Support (Necas) asked 25 councils across the region to provide up to 300 homes.

But the authority has asked for assurances from Necas and the Home Office that they will provide full support before any refugees arrive in the district.

A statement revealed that the authority is worried about the welcome the refugees will receive.

It said: "The council's cabinet was concerned that, because of the recent adverse publicity over asylum seekers, this could lead to prejudice from certain sections of the community, and therefore make it difficult for people fleeing violence and prejudice elsewhere in the world to settle into their new accommodation."

It added: "The cost of relocating asylum seekers is fully recoverable from the Home Office.

"In recognising that asylum seekers are not taking away much-needed resources from the community of Derwentside, hopefully the community will realise and accept our responsibility to asylum seekers, who are human beings suffering from severe difficulties in their countries of origin."

Councils will be allowed a large degree of discretion in finding suitable accommodation.

The police, health authorities, Government Office North-East and voluntary groups have supported the call to provide the homes.

The authority hit the headlines last year when it moved to distance itself from a spoof letter circulated in Derwentside.

The letter, claiming to be from the housing department, said council tenants would have to find room for Asian families in their own homes.

The racist letter was passed to police after people accepted it at face value and complained to the council