Theresa May is considering banning EU migrants from Britain unless they have a job, it has emerged as the Prime Minister denied that she has gone "soft" on immigration.

Despite admitting that Britain will only get “some control” over freedom of movement rules after Brexit, it is understood that Mrs May is planning a tough work permit system to ensure that EU migrants cannot come to Britain looking for work.

It came after she was on Monday accused of "back-sliding" after ruling out Boris Johnson's plans for an Australian-style points-based migration system.

She said that such a system would be "open to abuse" and would entitle migrants to "automatically" enter Britain if they had enough points.

She added, however, that British voters only want an "element" of control over the free movement of EU migrants.

Nigel Farage, the former Ukip leader, and other senior figures from the campaign to leave the European Union said that they were "worried" about Mrs May's approach.

The Prime Minister said she will instead balance controls on immigration with getting the "best deal possible for trade in goods and services with the EU".

Speaking at the conclusion of the G20 summit in China, she said: "What the British people voted for on the 23rd of June was to bring some control into the movement of people from the European Union to the UK. A points-based system does not give you that control."