Deputy GLA chief Trevor Philips has accused David Blunkett of "legitimising" the far-right in a row over the home secretary's use of language to describe the impact of asylum seekers on local communities.

In an FT interview, one of Labour's most prominent black leaders said: "David Blunkett summoning up the images of public services overwhelmed by foreign asylum seekers is really giving a lot of legitimacy to what the BNP are saying."

"I think it was deliberate. I think it was wrong and I think he should apologise."

However, Downing Street yesterday gave the home secretary backing for plans to educate the children of asylum seekers in detention centres.

"David Blunkett has 100 per cent support from the prime minister in the way that he is dealing with this - in a practical measured way," the official spokesman said.