An Enfield MP who opposed allowing 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees into the UK says he did not want an “auction”.

David Burrowes, MP for Enfield Southgate, was one of the 294 MPs who rejected the amendment from Labour peer Lord Dubs to the government’s Immigration Bill.

The government say they will take 3,000 extra vulnerable children, but that they should be drawn from camps near the conflict zone, rather than those who have already travelled alone to Europe.

Mr Burrowes said he welcomed the government’s plans, and the amendment would not solve the problems in the long term.

He said: “I welcome the Government's recent announcement to provide refuge for children at risk from the region around Syria and to provide more resources and expertise to keep thousands of lone children safe in Europe.

“I have long campaigned for the Government to show compassion to vulnerable refugees and particularly lone children who are at grave risk of exploitation and being trafficked.

“I visited the camps in Calais and Dunkirk and saw for myself the appalling conditions and risks of vulnerable children being exploited and abused.

“I congratulate all those involved in the cross party campaign, we must take our fair share and be flexible to take more depending on the changing needs of the most vulnerable.

“However the compassionate test of whether we care for vulnerable lone children is not about whether we accept this arbitrary figure, it is not an auction of how many places we can offer in the UK.

“The test is whether the package of measures from the Government will provide safety to thousands of vulnerable children and help prevent more children at risk of exploitation, and my answer is yes - it passes the compassionate test.”

Both of the borough’s Labour MPs, Enfield North’s Joan Ryan and Edmonton’s Kate Osamor, backed the vote to allow 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees to enter.

A new amendment to the bill has now been proposed by Lord Dubs, which will ask the government to speak with local authorities on how many refugees can be allowed in, rather than setting a fixed number.