A raft of celebrities and campaigners are calling on the Prime Minister not to end the Dubs scheme for vulnerable and lone child refugees.

The scheme, named after its architect, Labour peer Lord Alf Dubs, will be capped once another 150 unaccompanied children are brought to Britain, on top of the 200 already in the UK.

Branding the decision "truly shameful", more than 200 figures including Carey Mulligan, Gary Lineker, Keira Knightley, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ralph Fiennes have signed an open letter to Theresa May.

The letter, backed by Help Refugees and Citizen UK's Safe Passage programme, states that it is "completely unacceptable" to "slam the door shut after just 350 children have reached safety".

"Lord Dubs was himself a child saved by Sir Nicholas Winton who rescued 669 children virtually single-handed," it reads.

"It is embarrassing that the Prime Minister's entire Government will not even manage to match the example set by her former constituent all those years ago, let alone the efforts of the Kindertransport movement of which he was a part which saved 10,000 children from the Nazis."

A storm of criticism has engulfed the Government since the announcement was made earlier this month that it will be scrapping the programme for resettling lone youngsters from mainland Europe to the UK.

Although the Government had not committed to any specific number, campaigners and opposition figures have previously called for 3,000 children to be given sanctuary.

The letter comes days after the Home Office said that due to a lack of places for vulnerable child refugees identified by local authorities, the scheme would finish at the end of the financial year.

Despite this, the signatories of it have called the consultation with the local authorities "threadbare" and "nine months out of date", and are urging the Government to "agree to extend the programme and re-consult with councils immediately".

The letter has been signed by figures which range from authors, actors, musicians and broadcasters - these also include Coldplay, Juliet Stevenson, Gok Wan, Caroline Flack, Jude Law, Michael Morpurgo, Douglas Booth, Joely Richardson, Lily Allen, Sir Mark Rylance and Ruby Wax.

Josie Naughton, co-founder of Help Refugees, said: "The outpouring of support for the continuation of the Dubs scheme by these well-known figures and the public demonstrates that its closure is at odds with the British values that make this country great.

"We ask that the Government finds a way to do more to protect these vulnerable children fleeing war and conflict just as we did before the Second World War."

Rabbi Janet Darley, of Citizen UK's Safe Passage programme, also welcomed the "intervention by this broad range of public figures".

"Voices right across society are challenging the Government's decision to close the 'Dubs' and the lifeline it offers to the most vulnerable child refugees because we know it reflects our true national character," she said.

"Shutting the door on refugee children leaves them with a terrible choice of train tracks on the one hand and people traffickers on the other.

"Councils and communities across the country stand ready to do more. We appeal to the Government to live up to our proud history of offering sanctuary to the most vulnerable child refugees.

"Britain is better than this."

In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby being taken on to MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A refugee boat carrying 101 people being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos all images by Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A baby among refugees on a boat carrying 185 people off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea Migrants and refugees sleeping after being rescued by MSF's Bourbon Argos ship Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A crew from MSF's Bourbon Argos ship rescuing a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya, at sunrise Lizzie Dearden In pictures: A day of refugee rescues in the Mediterranean Sea A woman in a stretcher being lifted onto MSF's Bourbon Argos ship from a boat carrying 130 migrants and refugees off the coast of Libya Lizzie Dearden

On Saturday, flanked by a group of children, local politicians and faith leaders, Lord Dubs delivered a 50,000-signature petition to the Prime Minister's Downing Street residence, accusing the Government of a "very shabby cop-out".

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has also previously said he was "saddened and shocked" at the decision.