Claims that Lewisham Council staff have "abused" destitute migrant families, including saying they should be deported and "go back to their own country" has led to a review.

This comes after "concerns and suggestions for improvement" were raised by advocacy groups including Project 17, AFRIL (Action for Refugees Lewisham) and NELMA (North-East London Migrants Action).

The "wholesale review" will be carried out by an independent practitioner, who will look into whether the council's current policy is legal, whether staff are competent and act in a "non-discriminatory manner".

The report is due at the end of June.

A spokeswoman from advocacy charity Project 17 said many Lewisham clients seeking support from the council had experienced a "culture of disbelief."

The charity, which provides advice to migrants, has made a complaint to the council.

"We have had our concerns about the way the staff treat clients," she said.

"On a number of occasions clients were told they should go back to their own country and told they should be deported."

She said many of the comments were "indirectly racist."

"If somebody is saying you have deliberately had children by different fathers here to get status, it feels like some of it has racial overtones.

"They have been shouted at and reduced to tears. There has been a culture of disbelief. I think it is a way to humiliate clients," she added.

But while council staff attitudes had improved in the last six months, the charity was still concerned migrants without advocacy were still facing hostility, she said.

Cabinet member for refugees, democracy and accountability, Cllr Kevin Bonavia, said there were allegations that migrants in Lewisham had been treated unfairly but he could not comment further due to legal issues.

But a Lewisham Council spokesperson said while there "is no evidence that staff had mistreated immigrants" with complaints "thoroughly investigated", the council would work with advocacy groups "to conduct an independent review of the service as whole."

"Of course we look at any individual complaints if and when they arise in the meantime," she added.

Lewisham is supporting 73 families at an annual cost of £1.8 million.