Bob Geldof Offers His Home To Syrian Refugees

Bob Geldof has offered to accommodate four refugee families in his London and Kent homes as Europe struggles comes to terms with the scale of the humanitarian crisis.

The aid campaigner and singer said he felt sick at seeing images of three-year-old Syrian Aylan Kurdi's body being washed up on a Turkish beach.

"I look at it with profound shame and a monstrous betrayal of who we are and what we wish to be," he told RTÉ Radio One in Ireland.

"We are in a moment currently now that will be discussed and impacted on in 300 years’ time."

He said he would open the doors to his family home as a personal response to the growing refugee crisis.

"I'm prepared - I'm lucky, I've a place in Kent and a flat in London - me and (partner) Jeanne would be prepared to take three families immediately in our place in Kent and a family in our flat in London, immediately, and put them up until such time as they can get going and get a purchase on their future."

The dean of York Minster, the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, has also offered to house a refugee family and has urged the government to offer more support to those fleeing war.

"I understand Britain is providing considerable help through its overseas aid budget but it is now clear that this is not providing an adequate solution and we need to do more to help those in desperate need," she said.

Geldof criticised the limited response from governments to date and said he decided to put his money where his mouth is.

"I've known, you've known, and everyone listening has known that the b******s we talk about, our values, are complete nonsense," he said.

"Once it comes home to roost we deny those values, we betray ourselves, but those values are correct, and it happens time and time again.

"So we are better than this, we genuinely are.

"All of this is happening now. We must have the politics and the humanity to deal with it. It makes me sick and a concert won't do it," he added.

Both Geldof and Dean Faull made the comments before the UK Prime Minister confirmed that Britain would accept “thousands more” Syrian refugees .