The horrors of the Taliban and the danger that Afghans faced for helping the UK Armed Forces have been brought home to councillors in Bordon.

Afghan refugees being temporarily housed on the Trenchard Park estate have spoken to district councillors about their lives in their homeland and East Hampshire.

A “select group” of Afghans who endangered themselves to help the British military have been given a helping hand in the UK by Mears, a housing and care provider.

The Government set up a programme to find homes for some of the most seriously threatened with around 50 vacant MOD properties on the estate being used as transitional accommodation.

Councillors Andy Tree, EHDC deputy leader, and Adeel Shah, portfolio holder for community development and engagement, recently learned of the brutality and potentially fatal consequences that the Afghan refugees faced in their homeland.

They also saw Afghan children being taught in a school during a “deeply moving” visit to the estate.

Cllr Tree said: “It was very emotional listening to some of the stories Afghan refugees had to tell and it really brought home to us the importance of what is happening here.

“It was deeply moving and left us in no doubt that we owe him and his colleagues a debt of gratitude through the Afghan resettlement scheme.”

The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) provides people with a safe, quality home with localised support that helps with their introduction to the UK.

Mears has been contracted to provide welfare and wellbeing support, a UK cultural integration programme, health and educational services, with the Trenchard Park housing being used as transitional accommodation for at least another 14 months.

It works closely with partner agencies to facilitate a joined-up and effective transition for participating families to ease their transition into UK life.