Gary Lineker abused on Twitter after defending Calais Jungle ‘child’ migrants arriving in the UK

ENGLAND legend Gary Lineker was sent a torrent of abuse on social media after defending the ‘child’ migrants arriving in the UK this week.

The Match of the Day presenter labelled people questioning the age of some of the youths brought over from Calais as “hideously racist and utterly heartless”.

But he received a backlash on Twitter, with one asking: “So how many are you taking into your home then Gary?”

They added: “Very easy to shout racist mate when you’re sitting on a crisp fortune.”

Several told him that he should “stick to football” and that he was talking “cobblers” and making himself “look like an idiot”.

The 55-year-old posted on social media yesterday: “The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless.

“What’s happening to our country?”

One user replied: “Probably a reaction to being preached to by lefty millionaires who live in the suburbs and get paid by taxpayers.”

Lots of other Twitter users swore at the ex-Tottenham striker and asked if he planned on taking in any of the refugees himself.

After receiving the abuse Mr Lineker posted: “Well that tweet led to some serious blocking.  The I’m alright Jack mentality is sickening.

“Wonder what makes some people feel, by sheer good fortune of place of birth, superior to others. I need a lie down.”

It comes after several dozen youths have arrived in south London this week from the Calais Jungle to be reunited with family in the UK before the camp is demolished.

But there have been questions whether the ‘children’ are in fact under 18, with many seemingly looking a lot older.

Tory MP David Davies has called for tests on teeth to verify the age of teenage migrants, who are all male, after he said a number who arrived in the UK from Calais this week “don’t look like children”.

And the revelation today that more than two-thirds of them who had their ages assessed by the Home Office were found to actually be adults, according to official figures.

Despite criticism for his stance Mr Davies has defended the idea, saying the authorities should not be “naive” about the issue of adults trying to get into the UK.

“Someone who is willing to throw themselves on to an electrified rail line or jump into a moving lorry isn’t going to be terribly worried about having an X-ray,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

“We must not be naive about this. It’s no good Lily Allen turning up with tears in her eyes and all the rest of it – we need to be quite hard-nosed here.”

But the Monmouth MP has been condemned by the British Dental Association, who said demands for testing on those heading to Britain from the Jungle refugee camp were “inappropriate and unethical”.