An Ottery group has asked East Devon candidates to support refugees if they were elected in next month’s General Election.

The Ottery Refugee Response Group has written to the seven candidates to ask if they would be willing to work with members on their four pledges.

The group was set up two years ago and has raised more than £4,000 for charities working with refugees and helping to resettle families in Devon.

It now has more than 100 members from across East Devon and organises ongoing collections to send to refugee camps in Europe and the Middle East.

In the letter the group has asked candidates to work with them to ask the district council to increase its resettle target in East Devon to 20 within the next Parliament.

They are also calling on candidates to work with refugee support organisations to help to make safe and legal routes ‘a practical reality’ for refugees and asylum seekers.

The final pledges are for candidates to support the continuation of the Syrian vulnerable persons resettlement scheme and to push for the reinstatement of a scheme to enable 3,000 vulnerable children to come to the UK.

The group says: “We have had overwhelming support in our work from communities across East Devon who are keen to support refugees and to welcome families and children into their midst.

”We are politically non-partisan and will seek to work with whichever candidate is elected in East Devon. We are asking all candidates to indicate their willingness to work with us by signing up to the following pledge.”