The Home Office has called on local authorities to do more to support vulnerable children seeking asylum in the UK.

This week Kent CC warned it had reached its capacity to safely care for any more unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

The council, which has cared for more than 1,500 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children since 2014/15, said that it was unable to accept any new arrivals and called on the Home Office to fairly distribute the children to other local authorities.

A Home Office spokesman today said that the Government was helping the council but it was important for other local authorities to take in more children.

He said: ‘We continue to provide Kent CC with support, including significant increases in funding, but the burden being placed on them is unacceptable and cannot continue.

‘We are grateful to the 53 local authorities who have pledged more than 210 places to support our national transfer scheme, but we need more to come forward and do their bit for vulnerable children.

‘The Home Office, Department for Education and MHCLG [Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government] are writing to all local authorities, urging them to come forward, play their part and take responsibility.'