Tory MP Michael Fallon says claims immigrants are 'swamping' towns were 'a little careless'

But Defence Secretary insists migrant workers are putting pressure on schools, housing and social services

Twitter reacts to comments by Michael Fallon that some UK towns are 'swamped' with immigrants (Getty)

The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon today admitted he had been “a bit careless” to claim that some parts of the country are being “swamped” by immigrants and that their residents felt “under siege”.

But he also insisted the “large number” of migrant workers from the European Union was piling pressure on housing and other essential services.

The Minister was slapped down by Downing Street last night after he made his initial comments in a television interview.

A Government source said he should have “chosen his words better” in an effort to head off a row about the comments which echoed provocative comments in the 1970s by Margaret Thatcher.

However, Mr Fallon today stood by the substance of his remarks, while acknowledging he had been remiss in his choice of language.

“I was a bit careless with my words, I accept that,” he told Sky News.

“But, yes, there is pressure now, there are a large number of people coming here from the rest of Europe. This is one of the more successful economies in Europe and there is pressure as a result of that migration on social services, on housing, on school places for example.”

The Defence Secretary’s original comments came in support of David Cameron, who has demanded radical change on the movement of migrant workers within the EU, but has run into opposition from the German chancellor Angela Merkel.

He said: “The Germans haven’t seen our proposal yet, and we haven’t seen our proposal yet. That is still being worked on at the moment to see what we can do to prevent whole towns and communities being swamped by huge numbers of migrant workers.

“In some areas, particularly on the east coast, yes, towns do feel under siege from large numbers of migrant workers and people claiming benefits. It is quite right that we look at that.”

He told Sky News that the 50-year-old treaty which established the EU “did not envisage these vast movements of people”.

Labour's Keith Vaz, the chairman of the influential Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said Mr Fallon’s original comments had been “nasty, inappropriate and wrong”.

Margaret Thatcher was accused in 1978 of pandering to racial prejudice when she said people feared being “swamped” by Asian immigrants, comments that propelled immigration up the agenda of the following year’s general election.