The Government is under pressure to take in 3,000 unaccompanied Syrian child refugees after a combination of Labour, Lib Dem and Crossbench peers backed the amendment to the Immigration Bill, defeating the Government by 306 votes to 204.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: “The House of Lords this evening have shown themselves to be more in touch with public opinion than our own Prime Minister. “The Government must stop ignoring the British people and the thousands of orphaned children languishing across Europe. Cameron should show some humanity. A small sacrifice from a large nation would turn these kids’ lives around. The Government must listen to this strong message from the Lords, it is time he stopped making excuses and did the right thing.”

Save the Children estimate there are 26,000 lone children across Europe, 400 of which are living the Calais ‘jungle’.

The UK has committed to taking 20,000 refugees from Syria by 2020, but the Prime Minister has repeatedly claimed offering sanctuary in the UK to refugees already in Europe could encourage more to make the often perilous journey to the continent.