Ukip says it would have probably have welcomed Turkey-born St George to Britain as a 'skilled migrant'

Patrick O'Flynn jokes about the party's hard-line migration policy

Patrick O'Flynn, UKIP's economic spokesperson and MEP for the East of England (EPA)

Ukip would have probably welcomed Saint George into Britain because he counts as a “skilled migrant”, a senior party member has said.

Patrick O’Flynn, a Ukip MEP and the party’s economic spokesperson, was asked whether the Turkey-born 3rd century Roman army soldier of Greek heritage would be allowed in the UK.

“Well, I guess dragon-slaying is a skill but whether it is one that's in short supply for the needs of the British economy, we will leave to our migration commission,” he joked to a bemused audience.

Patrick O'Flynn, UKIP's economic spokesperson and MEP for the East of England (EPA)

Mr O’Flynn was referring to a popular legend which claims that the Middle Eastern saint killed a dragon that was terrorising a local population.

St George is almost certain to have never visited the British Isles during his lifetime, nor is he thought to have had any particular connection to the region.

Ukip says it wants to make Saint George’s Day a bank holiday in England.

Saint Patrick’s Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and St Andrews Day is a bank holiday in Scotland.

Like Saint George’s Day, Saint David’s Day in Wales and St Piran’s Day in Cornwall are not currently bank holidays.

There have in recent years been a number of petitions to make St George’s Day a bank holiday.