Kent has seen a significant fall in the number of migrant workers seeking jobs in the county, figures seen by the KM Group have revealed.

The drop will be seen as further evidence of the impact of Brexit but is likely to cause concern among employers in both the private and public sector.

According to data based on National Insurance number allocations, in 2016-17 the number of migrant workers coming to Kent fell to12,528 - a drop of 956 or 6.4% compared to 2015-16.

Romania accounted for the bulk of migrant workers - 4,265 - representing an increase of 57 on the previous year.

However, there was a decline in the number of Polish migrants registering to work in Kent, a country which has traditionally figured highly in terms of the migrant workforce.

Some 1,181 Polish workers registered in Kent, a fall of 551 - the equivalent of a 30% drop - on the previous year.

However, that still accounted for the third highest number.

Nearly 70% of migrants - some 9,480 - were workers from EU accession states, particularly Romania and Bulgaria where restrictions on the movement of labour were lifted in 2014.

When it came to the numbers in different parts of the county, figures show that Maidstone saw the sharpest drop in registrations with 2,561 - a fall of 459 on 2015-16.

But it still remains the area with most new migrant workers and was the eighth highest authority in the south east for applications.

It was followed by Canterbury with 2,229 and Swale with 1,697. Both these saw small falls in numbers.

By contrast, Sevenoaks was the only part of the county to see a modest increase of 13 to 666.

The uncertainty over the status of EU citizens is already creating challenges for Kent employers.

Some 1,181 Polish workers registered in Kent, a fall of 551 - the equivalent of a 30% drop - on the previous year

The KM Group recently revealed how hospital trusts had seen close to 400 staff leave in the year running up to the Brexit and its aftermath.

And Kent farmers who rely heavily on seasonal labour have flagged up concerns that the uncertainty may deter workers from abroad taking up jobs.

Dr Julian Spinks, a Kent GP, said declining numbers of migrants risked a shortfall of staff in hospitals.

“We are 100,000 short of the staff we need in the NHS. There has been a 98% drop in the number of people applying to work in the NHS and unless we can reverse that, we are not going to have an NHS that works.

"We have got to wait years for staff from England to be trained and we need those GPs and nurses from overseas to run the service.”

Cllr Pam Wilson, the leader of Maidstone council, said on the whole the borough had accommodated migrant workers well.

Part of the reason it was the highest area could be the large numbers of seasonal workers on farms.

“There can be difficulties in housing several hundred people in one go but we have not had that problem," she said.

"Maidstone appears to be a very attractive place for people to work and live.”

In Ashford and Shepway, about one in four new migrant workers originated from Asia and the Middle East - largely due to new allocations to workers from Nepal.