'Have you no compassion?' Jeremy Paxman blasts UKIP leadership contender Suzanne Evans as she calls for physical checks on 'child' migrants

• Jeremy Paxman challenged UKIP leadership hopeful on ITV programme
• Suzanne Evans claimed some child migrants were 'clearly not children' 
• Paxman asked whether she had compassion and got angry response 

By Joseph Curtis For Mailonline

Jeremy Paxman hit out at a UKIP leadership hopeful after she called for physical checks on incoming child migrants to verify their age.

Suzanne Evans, who is bidding to replace Nigel Farage as leader of the party, claimed 'grown men' were coming from the Calais 'Jungle' camp and said the situation was 'disgraceful'.

She added the British people were 'clearly angry' about taking in 'men who need to shave'.

Jeremy Paxman, pictured, asked UKIP leadership hopeful Suzanne Evans if she had any compassion after she questioned the ages of child migrants coming to the UK from Calais

Her words prompted an outburst from Paxman, who said 'have you no compassion?'

They were appearing on ITV political show The Agenda, and the former Newsnight presenter was cheered by the audience when he took on Ms Evans over her comments.

When presenter Tom Bradby asked Ms Evans if she supported dental checks called for last week by Tory MP David Davies, she said: 'We have children in this country who are languishing in children's homes who can't find foster homes who can't find adoptive parents - they are there having their lives destroyed and we are taking in grown men from the 'Jungle'.

'I think that's absolutely wrong and I think as a matter of principle - I know it's very difficult to check someone's age - but we had a vote in parliament of the Dubs agreement to bring in child refugees from the Jungle and they did not vote to bring in men who are clearly not children - who need to buy razors and shave.

'And I think the British people are really angry about that. We are a compassionate nation and we want to help kids.

'If we didn't have such uncontrolled immigration perhaps we could take more. How dare we bring in people who are really not the people in most need.'

After being challenged by Paxman, she added: 'Of course I have compassion. How dare you accuse me of not having any compassion. Just because I can see a system is being abused here.'

But the veteran journalist did not stop there and questioned why she should be able to 'determine' who is or is not a child. 

Children have been arriving in the UK from Calais for more than a week, with those who have relatives already living in the country treated as priority cases.

But critics have argued some of those arriving are older than they claim to be and it has prompted a fierce row that has even involved Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker.

Ms Evans, pictured, claimed migrants who were 'clearly not children' were arriving and that was 'angering' the British public

Some appeared older than typical teenagers, including one who was rated by an online facial recognition program as having the features of a 38-year-old. 

Officials insist the migrants have undergone rigorous interviews and document checks to establish they are aged under 18, adding that the children may appear older 'because war has toughened them up'.

But it has emerged that this is simply a screening process where they are verified as a child based on their 'physical appearance' and 'demeanour', with social workers signing off an 'age assessment'.

 Routine medical tests, such as checking dental records, have not been carried out because it could be 'intrusive'.