THERESA May wanted the children of illegal immigrants be placed at the bottom of the list for school places, it has been reported.

The plans were created when the Prime Minister was in charge of the Home Office, according to Cabinet letters leaked to the BBC.

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It shows Mrs May's department suggested schools could withdraw children's places if their families were found to be in the country illegally.

The papers show the Home Office wanted schools to carry out immigration checks including asking to see passports before accepting new pupils

All under 16s in the UK have a right to an education, regardless of their parents' circumstances.

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A Government spokesman said he would not comment on leaked documents, but added: "It is only right that any government looks at a range of options when considering policy options, but ultimately it is for ministers to decide which policies are taken forward.

"We are building a system that works in the best interests of the British people and ensures that only those with a right to be in the UK can live and work here."

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The alleged plan by Mrs May, who was the Conservative home secretary from 2010 until July this year when she entered No10, was labelled "disgusting" by Labour.

The Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said it was evidence that the PM was trying to "offload" the failure of the Home Office to cut immigration by trying to make teachers perform border control functions.

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The member of Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It shows that actually Theresa May was not just considering it, her department was pushing it and I'm deeply concerned about it.

"I think it's a terrible idea. Denying innocent children because of the circumstances of their parents the right to a good education is disgusting, it's not a British value that we have.

"And of course, one in eight UK nationals don't have a passport either, so it's completely impractical."