A TOTAL of 18 refugee families from Afghanistan have left Inverclyde after moving here under a resettlement scheme.

A council report says they did not leave for any reasons associated with their experience of living in the area.

The report said: "The main reasons given were lack of a mosque (and therefore no Imam for the religious education of their children), little access to affordable halal meat, desire to live closer to a larger Afghan community, a wish to live near friends and/or family and greater employment opportunities."