HOME Secretary Theresa May was attacked yesterday by a former cabinet colleague over her use of “unreliable” statistics to call for tougher restrictions on foreign students coming to Britain.

Ex-universities minister David Willetts yesterday rejected Ms May’s suggestion that 96,000 more students were arriving in the country each year than were leaving.

The Home Office is understood to be using the figure in an attempt to justify proposals which would make places on courses contingent on people demonstrating they have significant independent financial means.