Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott has wrongly claimed 16-year-olds can fight for their country as a reason for why the voting age should be lowered.

Speaking in a video posted on her official Facebook page, the Labour MP said: 'I believe in votes at 16.

'If you're old enough to fight for your country, you're old enough to vote.'

But Abbott didn't realise that soldiers cannot be selected for combat until they are 18.

It is the latest in a series of gaffes by the shadow home secretary. In May she was humiliated in an LBC radio show when she said it would cost just £300,000 to pay for an extra 10,000 police officers - and later said 'I mis-spoke'.

The shadow home secretary made the gaffe ahead of the second reading of a private members' bill seeking to reduce the voting age to 16 on Friday

Ms Abbott made a series of gaffes during the general election campaign in which she tried and failed to get across Labour's spending plans

Abbott made today's gaffe ahead of the second reading of a private members' bill seeking to reduce the voting age to 16 on Friday.

The bill was later shelved after MPs failed to get to a vote in time.

While soldiers can technically join the army at 16, current legislation prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from engaging in a hostile situation.

Facebook users were quick to point out the gaffe, with one person writing: 'You can't fight at 16. You can join the forces but definitely no fighting until your 18. That is international law. Straight away wrong with a simple fact.'

'Sixteen-year-olds don't fight on the frontline... yet again Abbott doesn't know the facts,' a man added.

While another joked: 'She was never good with numbers!'

It's not the first time the Labour MP has been criticised for not getting her facts straight.

In July Ms Abbott appeared confused in a TV interview about Labour's plans to fund the police.

Speaking to ITV about rising crime figures in England and Wales, she attempted to explain Labour's plan for 10,000 extra officers.

But she came unstuck when she tried to outline how Labour would raise the £300 million it says is needed for the policy.

Ms Abbott, a close ally of leader Jeremy Corbyn, said Labour would do so by reversing cuts to capital gains tax.

But she could not recall the figure and looked desperately off camera for help before being prompted by the reporter.

Speaking to ITV about crime figures earlier this year Diane Abbott attempted to explain Labour's plan for 10,000 extra officers but had to look for help behind the camera (right)

The embarrassing incident recalled a series of gaffes during the general election campaign in which Ms Abbott tried and failed to get across Labour's spending plans.

She took sick leave shortly before polling day and a replacement filled her post as shadow home secretary for several days.

In the July interview Ms Abbott said: 'What we have is we would find the money to recruit the ten thousand police people by cutting the.... we would find the money because we would look at capital gains tax.

'The Tories have cut capital gains tax and we want to restore it.

'That would give us I think £170... sorry.'

Ms Abbott appears to look to an aide before continuing: 'We would find the money by restoring capital gains tax.'

Told by the reporter it was £300million, Ms Abbott said: 'We think that by restoring the cuts in capital gains tax that would give us another £300million a year.'