TEN Syrian families including children and babies will be homed in Clydebank as early as Monday, November 23, West Dunbartonshire Council has confirmed.

The local authority said refugees would be allocated flats in Radnor Park as it faced a backlash from residents who were only informed of their impending arrival on Monday, November 16.

West Dunbartonshire Council posted a small flyer through the door of neighbouring flats stating that dozens of refugees would be moved into the area within one week.

Resident Marion Sweeney is angry at the lack of consultation or warning local residents were given, insisting that West Dunbartonshire Council had failed its own residents.

She said: “They have given us seven days notice. You can go to an information evening on Thursday but it’s purely for information, there’s no consultation with residents about how they might feel about refugees moving into the area.

“I do believe these families need help but to spring it on us seven days before, with no consultation and nothing to say why it’s happening is wrong.”

A mother of four, Marion said West Dunbartonshire Council had known the arrival date of the refugees for some time because residents had witnessed a ‘flurry’ of activity in recent weeks as workmen repaired neighbouring flats.

Marion added: “If they had of educated us from the beginning on what was going to happen, had a community workshop or provided information leaflets telling us then maybe it wouldn’t have been such a shock to get the letters through the door on Monday.”

Mena Hodgon is due to have a Syrian family as a neighbour.

The grandmother, who has lived in her Singer Street flat for 21 years, said the extensive works carried out at Singer Street to welcome the refugees also made existing tenants feel undervalued as they had been complaining about the building’s poor state of repair for several years. Both Mena and Marion said they would be friendly and welcoming to their new neighbours, but questioned how suitable Radnor Park was to house refugees given the level of deprivation, anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

A spokesman for West Dunbartonshire Council said: “Following the council’s commitment to offer support, a small number of Syrian refugee families will be arriving in the Clydebank area during the week of November 23.

“Further to the council’s commitment to engage with local communities, our public reassurance team has visited all the tenants who will be living near to the refugee families to explain in more detail and answer any questions they have. In some cases, when tenants were out, a letter was posted through their door to give an update and details of who to call for more information.

“A community meeting is being held on Thursday, November 19, at Radnor Park Parish Church when residents can come along and ask any further questions they may have.

“The Syrian families arriving in Clydebank have fled from war and persecution and should be afforded space and privacy to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings.”

Refugee families arriving in the UK have been through a thorough two-stage vetting process, including the taking of biometric data, documentary evidence and interviews.