A council leader has been criticised for calling asylum seeking children "illegal immigrants".

Cllr Alan Jarrett (Con), leader of Medway Council, made the comments after the authority lost a judicial review it sought against the Home Office.

The council disputed the number of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) the government said it should be looking after as part of its involvement in the National Transfer Scheme.

The scheme, which is compulsory, was set up to ensure these children aren't put up in hotels and hostels.

The authority's case was dismissed following a hearing in front of Lord Justice Bean and Mrs Justice Collins Rice at the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, February 15.

Last week, Medway Conservative Group sent out a press release after Medway Labour Group leader Vince Maple, spoke on radio about the case.

In the press release, Cllr Jarrett said his council looks after UASCs placed in Medway by other authorities, and it will be appealing the ruling.

He added: “I was shocked to hear that Medway Labour puts illegal immigrants before Medway’s children and Medway’s families.

"I want to make it clear that Medway Conservatives put the needs of Medway children before all else.

"Medway Labour should be ashamed of the position it has taken which puts Medway children last instead of first.”

During a meeting of the children and young people overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday (March 2), Cllr Clive Johnson (Lab) asked the portfolio holder for children's services, Cllr Josie Iles (Con) whether she would like to disassociate herself with the comments made in the press release.

He added: "The description that I would use of these young people is they are often traumatised, they are definitely vulnerable, they are children, they have fled persecution, war, and all sorts of issues we can't begin to imagine.

"They have come to us in search of sanctuary, and that description is not anything that anybody in Medway should really associate themselves with."

Cllr Tristan Osborne (Lab), added: "These children are highly vulnerable, and yet we're seeing inappropriate language used."

Cllr Iles said: "I can't comment on Cllr Jarrett's description, that's his opinion.

"What I think is that it is a very sad situation and there's no doubt about that.

"In terms of our children in Medway, I put them first.

"I do accept the direction and the reasons behind that and it does actually put us in a very difficult situation, because it's the sufficiency within Medway for our own children, so you would see an additional pressure."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service approached Cllr Jarrett for comment.

It comes ahead of a government announcement on changes to the way asylum seekers are processed.

The Home Secretary Suella Braverman looks set to announce a ban on people who arrive here via small boat crossings claiming asylum in an announcement later on today.