WHEN RAF Tornados set off to bomb ISIS targets in Syria, Stephen Griffith was thinking of his friends who had fled the country.

The former reverend spent 10 years there from 1992 and knows many people who have left their war-torn homes to escape civil war.

Britain is now involved in air strikes, joining the US, Russia and France in bombing terrorist targets on the ground to stop the rise of Daesh.

The situation is a depressing one for Mr Griffith, 65, from Bootham, who still harbours a love and affection for a country he called home for a decade.

"I loved living there and it was a wonderful place to live," he said.

"It had fantastic architecture, a coast, desert and ruins, and I have never been as happy anywhere else.

"It was a great place.

"These are ancient cities with great culture.

"They had great music, art, culture and lovely gardens, food and lots of fun."

Since gunmen killed 130 people in Paris on November 13 the Prime Minister set about urging MPs to vote in favour of extending bombing campaigns from Iraq and into Syria.

On Wednesday night, following a 10-hour debate, he was given the backing of 397 ministers to carry out strikes.

The result was a sobering one for Mr Griffith, a former chaplain to the British Embassy in Syria.

He added: "Seeing this happen is like having depression.

"When I talk to my friends they are in areas with lots of refugees and it's awful because these are highly-educated people.

"We have done a lot of work in neighbouring countries in supporting refugees coming out of Syria in an attempt not to get involved.

"It's very complicated and Britain hasn't known what to do.

"The business of bombing is completely meaningless and there's so many bombs falling at the moment that it makes no difference whatsoever.

"What needs to happen in Syria is to slowly strangle them but there needs to be ground troops."

Mr Griffith is critical of the Syrian Government and blames president Bashar Al-Assad for the turmoil inflicted on the nation since civil war broke out in 2011, but admits there is no simple solution to the problems.

"The guys at the top run all the businesses and if you want to set up a business you have to bribe someone.

"If you challenge them you may get your legs broken or killed. It's a Mafia state.

"We need to find another way of dealing with this that is not just a military strategy."