A senior minister has sparked a new Tory Islamophobia row by suggesting that a debate about the issue should be handled by the Foreign Office.

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom made the gaffe today following days in which the Tories have been faced with accusations of Muslim hatred within their ranks.

She spoke after Labour's Naz Shah asked about having a debate on a definition of Islamophobia in Parliament.

It prompted Tory Muslim peer Baroness Warsi to say: 'British Muslims are errrrr British. What is wrong with some of my colleagues?

'We are in a hole .....stop digging!'

The comments by Mrs Leadsom in the Commons prompted a furious response from senior Tory peer Baroness Warsi today

It prompted a furious response from Naz Shah who posted the exchange online and asked: 'When did attacks on BRITISH Muslims become a foreign issue?'

Ms Shah, the MP for Bradford West, demanded a probe into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party

The exchange in the Commons came at the end of a week in which it emerged 14 Conservative Party members were suspended after posting Islamophobic or racist comments on social media.

The remarks were found on a pro-Jacob Rees-Mogg Facebook group, including calls for Muslims to be 'turfed out of public office', for the Government to 'get rid of all mosques' and calling Muslim Home Secretary Sajid Javid a 'Trojan horse'.

Theresa May was accused of 'burying her head in the sand' over 'institutional Islamophobia' in the party by Baroness Warsi, the former Tory chairman.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom and Labour MP Naz Shah both spoke about Islamophobia in the Commons today

In Thursday's exchange Ms Shah tried to take advantage of this, asking Mrs Leadsom: 'Given the crisis the (Tory) party finds itself in with Islamophobia, would she agree with me that it is right that we should have a debate in the house on Islamophobia?'

Mr Leadsom replied: 'I'm sure that she will be pleased to see that the Conservative party is taking very strong action in any cases that we identify of Islamophobia.

'We have been extremely robust and urgent in our response to that.

'She raises a very important point about whether we should seek a definition of I and I would perhaps urge her to seek an adjournment debate in the first instance so she can discuss with Foreign Office ministers whether that would be a useful way forward.'

Ms Shah blasted the comment, later saying on Twitter: 'When did attacks on BRITISH Muslims become a foreign issue?'

A Cabinet Office spokesman later said Mrs Leadsom thought Ms Shah was referring to an international definition of Islamophobia.

The spokesman said: 'Islamophobia is unacceptable wherever it takes place.

'It was thought the MP for Bradford West was referring to a global definition of Islamophobia.

'International efforts to combat Islamophobia (and all forms of religious persecution and prejudice) are lead by the PM's special envoy on freedom of religion or belief, Lord Ahmad, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

'Of course, any form of Islamophobia in the UK would be dealt with swiftly by the Home Office or Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government as appropriate.'