THE SNP's Westminster leader has called on Theresa May to show "moral and political leadership" by reversing the decision to end a scheme for bringing lone child refugees to Britain.

Angus Robertson has written to the Prime Minister on behalf of the party's 54 MPs seeking an urgent meeting on the closure of the scheme to take in unaccompanied refugee children from other countries in Europe.

The Moray MP's intervention came after it was announced that just 350 children will be given a home in the UK under the so-called Dubs amendment – far fewer than the 3,000 originally expected.

Robertson said: "The Prime Minister cannot continue to remain silent in the face of growing pressure from the public and parliament to reverse this shameful decision.

"We are in the midst of the worst humanitarian crisis since the Second World War – it will not just go away, and the UK Government must not shirk its moral responsibility to receive our fair share of unaccompanied child refugees.

"These are some of the most vulnerable children in the world – we can and must do more to protect them. Tory ministers have been far too slow and reluctant to act throughout the refugee crisis. The relatively weak commitments that they have made must now be kept – and instead of closing down key routes to sanctuary the UK Government should be stepping up its resettlement efforts.

"Theresa May must now show some moral and political leadership by immediately scrapping plans to end the Dubs Scheme and by stepping up the UK Government's refugee resettlement efforts."

However, a UK Government spokesperson, in response, said: "We are committed to supporting vulnerable children who are caught up in conflict and danger."