Kent MPs will get a second chance to vote on revised government plans to accept more child refugees from Syria.

Fourteen of the county’s MPs last week were among 294 who blocked a Labour amendment that would have meant the UK taking in 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children from Syria who had already arrived in Europe.

And one says he has reservations about the new proposal. South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay said they could encourage more to try to make "perilous journeys."

Mr Mackinlay said: “I am not wholly convinced. In Kent, we are full up - we have no more facilities and have no more room and simply cannot do much more. We have taken in large numbers from Europe. What does that say about other countries? The are not dangerous places and I am worried this will act as a magnet. I do not want to see more children risking their lives by making perilous journeys. Holding people at source until Syria recovers - which it will do - would be better.”

He added: “I was very happy to vote against the Labour amendment, it was the right thing to do. I am fearful we will consign more people to die.”

The government had argued the Labour proposal to accept more children from Europe would have sent the wrong signal and encourage others to try to make the journey.

But in a partial U-turn, the Prime Minister has announced today that the government is now prepared to consider accepting children who are already in Europe.

The government was facing a backbench rebellion but has moved to head off a revolt with revised proposals.

The change in policy will mean children registered in Greece, Italy or France before March 20 - when the EU struck its refugee deal with Turkey - will be eligible for resettlement in the UK.

Writing in his column for the Folkestone Express, MP Damian Collins said the government had already done a considerable amount for refugee children, including doubling the aid budget for the crisis in Syria to £2.3bn.

He added that there was already a commitment to provide asylum to 20,000 people from Syria over the next four years.

The 14 MPs were: Julian Brazier (Canterbury);Rehman Chishti (Gillingham); Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells); Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe); Damian Green (Ashford); Charlie Elphicke (Dover); Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks) ; Sir Roger Gale (North Thanet); Craig Mackinlay (South Thanet); Gareth Johnson (Dartford); Adam Holloway (Gravesham); Tom Tugendhat (Tonbridge and Malling);Helen Whatley (Faversham and Mid Kent) and Kelly Tolhurst (Rochester and Strood).