A local resident has been so moved by images of Kosovo refugees in desperate conditions he has called for the Island to accept some.

In a Letter to the Editor, artist Jonah Jones wrote that after reading an article in last Wednesday's Royal Gazette entitled "Traumatised Refugees'' he would offer his spare bedroom to someone in need.

Mr. Jones calls on Government to "do its part'' and join other countries in housing the refugees.

When contacted yesterday, Mr. Jones said he had been moved to tears watching television coverage of the mass exodus of ethnic Albanians from the Kosovo region of Yugoslavia.

More than one million people have left the region due to ethnic cleansing by Serbian led Government forces which prompted the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to bomb Yugoslavia a month ago.

Mr. Jones said: "I think many people would be willing to lend a helping hand beyond putting money in a box. I would like to do something more physical than that.

"It would be a fabulous gesture for Bermuda to show the world that we are doing our bit,'' he added. "It would present a united spirit and a love of human beings by the generous people that live here.'' Mr. Jones said he had given a monetary donation but said Bermudians may be moved to do more than "throwing money'' at the problem.

"These ethnic Albanians are overwhelmingly Muslim and I think there may be a connection with our substantial number of local Muslims,'' he added.

Mr. Jones continued: "But it goes beyond racial or religious boundaries. It's a huge number of people suffering and Bermuda is so well off.''