A LEADING cabinet member has defended his views on immigration and asylum seekers after he was grilled by his fellow councillors.

Councillor Alan Amos sparked a war of words in the Worcester News letters page after claiming “so-called” asylum-seeking children had put a strain on the county’s social services.

His claims led to a response by his cabinet colleague Cllr Andy Roberts who said the county had taken in 23 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children last year and funding for them had come from the government.

Cllr Liz Tucker, who put forward a motion calling for his view to be 'repudiated' with her Liberal Democrat and Green colleagues, said she was not prepared to go into individual personalities but wanted clarity on the council’s values and the support it has given for refugees and asylum seekers.

She said: “I was shocked when I read the unpleasant and ungenerous letters in the Worcester News. I felt I could not stay silent.

“I ask this council to endorse that we are proud of the small contribution we have made so far and I hope we will seek to build on this work in the future.

Cllr Alan Amos said: “It would be nice if the motion did actually refer to what I said rather than what they hoped I said. I didn’t even mention or even refer to Worcestershire’s children’s budget.”

Cllr Amos said he had asked why mass immigration was allowed to continue when vulnerable single mothers were constantly told housing would not be made available to them.

He added he supported legal immigration but was speaking up for the county’s “silent majority” who were being ignored and who shared his concerns on immigration.

The council’s Conservatives said they could not support the motion and it was eventually rejected.

Cllr Lucy Hodgson said: “I think we have to respect that people have different views. It is not the role of the council to criticise an individual for comments made.”

Cllr Chris Bloore said: “We should be proud of what Worcestershire has done taking in these children who have nowhere else to go and we should stop demonising them.”

Cllr Matthew Jenkins said he was “disappointed” with Cllr Amos’s letter. Their comments were made at a full meeting of Worcestershire County Council on Thursday (January 17).