Portsmouth council boss hits out over calls to get Royal Navy involved in UK's migrant crisisÂ

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson lashed out at the government for its reaction to Britain's migrant situation.

It comes after 100 migrants were caught making the dangerous journey across the Channel and into Dover earlier this week.

The incidents prompted home secretary Sajid Javid to cut short his luxury safari trip to South Africa and jet back to the UK to deal with the crisis, which he declared as a '˜major incident'.

The situation also prompted calls from MP John Woodcock, a member of the commons home affairs committee, to get the Royal Navy involved as the public was '˜losing confidence in the struggling border force', which is based in Portsmouth.

But councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Portsmouth City Council, felt the government was '˜hitting the panic button' unnecessarily and felt calling in an already-under pressure Royal Navy was not the right course of action.

Demanding calm from Whitehall, the Lib Dem boss appealed for the government to instead heed calls from Portsmouth to support the city with its own immigration problem.

As previously reported by The News, Portsmouth has accepted about 100 unaccompanied minors who arrived in the city in various ways, including stowed away in the back of lorries.

Cllr Vernon-Jackson said the government's immigration minister Caroline Nokes had failed to respond to letters from the city council appealing for additional support, instead diverting attention to Dover.

He said: 'The government is choosing to ignore Portsmouth and they appear to be in a complete state of panic, running around like headless chickens.

'˜The government should have enough resources for the border force to do their job properly. If they haven't. they should recruit these jobs.

'˜The Royal Navy is under pressure because there are not enough staff. They have to do huge things for the government already '“ this will just be an extra strain on our navy.'

Councillor Donna Jones, Portsmouth's Tory boss and former council chief, said it was '˜unlikely' the Royal Navy would need to get involved in the situation. 

Cllr Donna Jones added: '˜For a country, having security at your borders is what keeps your nation safe.

'˜I feel desperately sad for people who are risking their lives coming across the English Channel in treacherous mid-winter, fleeing their own country.

'˜But I do think it's right we maintain our borders . If the UK Border Force requires support from the armed forces that's quite an important move.

'˜I think it's quite unlikely at this stage and I don't think it's required yet '“ it's a slightly over-the-top reaction.'

In November, a report highlighted fears that migrants would target Portsmouth's under-staffed checks.

It comes after a lorry filled with 31 illegal migrants was stopped in Hilsea in September. The vehicle had arrived from Portsmouth International Port,