A billboard has gone up in Swindon with welcome messages to refugees.

Swindon City of Sanctuary collaborated with Create Studios and Richard James estate agents to share messages of welcome and support, written on orange hearts, to all people who come to Swindon, especially those who had fled danger and are seeking safety here.

These messages can be seen in a huge orange heart shape on the billboard in Old Town’s Newport Street. It says “The People of Swindon Say WELCOME!”

The messages, all written during Swindon City of Sanctuary’s Show Your Heart Month of Welcome in November, show the true spirit of welcome and kindness in the hearts of the people of Swindon.

All the messages of welcome on orange hearts, were written by young people from local schools, school-staff, people from local businesses, community organisations and faith groups and were collected at local events, or online.

Swindon City of Sanctuary's Nicola Wood said: "We welcome people into our town and want to show them that they belong here so they can begin re-building their lives in safety and become involved in their new community.

If any one of us feared for our lives or the lives of our loved ones, we’d want to know that others would help us to safety, wouldn’t we? This is our chance to show our messages of welcome and support for everyone."