David Cameron’s comments dismissing refugees in Calais as a “bunch of migrants” have been condemned as “vile” and “hypocritical” coming on Holocaust Memorial Day.

The Prime Minister had paid tribute to the millions of Jews and other targeted groups killed by the Nazi regime minutes before making his controversial aside while attacking Labour.

Yvette Cooper, the former shadow Foreign Secretary, later raised a point of order to call on Mr Cameron to withdraw his comment.

David Cameron refers to Calais as 'bunch of migrants'

“In the light and spirit (of Holocaust Memorial Day) doesn’t the Speaker think it was inappropriate for the Prime Minister to use language referring to the refugee crisis in Europe to talk about a ‘bunch of migrants’?” she asked.

Ms Cooper requested that the House of Commons demand the comments be withdrawn but the Speaker, John Bercow, declined and said it was up to Mr Cameron to comment if he chose to.

On Twitter, shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham said the moment showed the Conservative leader’s “mask slipping”.

“He just dismissed desperate people fleeing conflict as a “bunch of migrants” - on Holocaust Memorial Day,” he added.

Scores of critics were noting the timing of the comment, which sparked a storm of criticism as people highlighted the persecution faced by many of the refugees fleeing to Europe.

Here are some of the responses on Twitter:

Families with emaciated children and torture victims were among the refugees met by Jeremy Corbyn at squalid camps in Calais and Dunkirk earlier this week.

Responding to a question on corporate tax from the Labour leader during Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Cameron called his stance “laughable”.

“Look at the record over the last week, they met with the unions and gave them flying pickets,” he said.

"They met with the Argentinians and they gave them the Falkland Islands.

Inside the camps in Calais Show all 20 1 /20 Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais A Kurdish child and her father get out of their tent in the makeshift migrant camp in Grande-Synthe near Dunkerque Inside the camps in Calais Kurdish migrants works around the tents of the makeshift migrant camp in Grande-Synthe near Dunkerque Inside the camps in Calais Volunteers from Holland set up a bridge of fortune over the mud using pallets of the makeshift migrant camp in Grande-Synthe near Dunkerque Inside the camps in Calais Refugees walk among tents in a makeshift camp as containers (rear) are put into place to house several hundred migrants living in what is known as the "Jungle", a squalid sprawling camp in Calais Inside the camps in Calais A makeshift camp is seen in front of containers (rear) put into place to house several hundred migrants living in what is known as the "Jungle", a squalid sprawling camp in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais The camp near Calais harbour where refugees from the Middle East and central Asia congregate to attempt the crossing from France to the UK Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Most of the temporary residents in this camp are from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria or the Kurdish administered regions Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Camp residents cook and share food at their site just outside Calais Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais A group walk through the camp near Calais Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Most of the temporary residents in this camp are from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria or the Kurdish administered regions Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais A 16 year old immigrant from Eritrea tries to brace himself against the rain and cold by sheltering under the road bridge Justin Sutcliffe Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Rubbish strewn on the ground near one of the campsites Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais A man stands among the tents at the campsite just outside Calais, France Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais A camp near Calais harbour where migrants from the East africa congregate to attempt the crossing from France to the UK. Most of the temporary residents in this camp are from Eritrea. Inside the camps in Calais Asylum seekers in Calais Graffiti depicting the dangerous journey trying to smuggle onto a lorry to the UK

“They met with a bunch of migrants in Calais they said they could all come to Britain.

"The only people they never stand up for are the British people and hard-working tax-payers."

He later claimed that “no country in Europe has been more generous than Britain in funding refugee camps” in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.