The home secretary has suffered a High Court defeat over rights for asylum seekers.

The High Court blocked tough new rules brought in by the government which strip late claimants of their right to claim housing and food benefits.

The ruling came following a legal challenge brought by six asylum seekers.

The verdict is now believed to affect a further 150 claimants.

Lawyers for the asylum seekers had claimed the new rules had left them "cold, hungry, scared and sick" and forced to sleep rough.

They said it was wrong to "subject someone to that sort of destitution". "There is no way they can prosecute their claims," added the counsel for the refugees.

Senior judge Mr Justice Collins backed the asylum seekers, describing the new rules as "inhumane".

David Blunkett that he would be appealing against the verdict.

"We are deeply concerned that the High Court has found against the Home Office and we will be appealing against the decision, with the attorney general taking the appeal on behalf of the government," he said in a statement.

Blunkett defended the policy as a way of ending abuse of the system by bogus claimants.

"This measure is an important part of our asylum reform programme which is dealing with widespread abuse of the system and reducing unfounded claims," he said.

"It is simple common sense that asylum seekers should lodge their claim as soon as they arrive if they expect support from the government."

"We must continue to be able to operate a robust policy and people who try to abuse our asylum system will not find us a soft touch."

Oliver Letwin, the shadow home secretary, called for the current asylum system to be scrapped following the High Court's ruling.

"This confirms our view that the entire asylum system needs to be scrapped and replaced with a quota of genuine refugees," he said.

"This will require renegotiation of or withdrawal from international agreements. Conservatives will face up to this task. The question is whether the government will."

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Michael Moore said the government's asylum policy was now "in tatters".

He said the approach "denied asylum seekers the very basics of support when they arrive in this country".