A row has erupted at the civic centre after the deputy leader of the council compared one of the poorest parts of Enfield to a refugee camp.

Cllr Michael Lavender described Edmonton as a 'UN feeding station' at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday. The comment was made in a debate about regeneration in the borough's most deprived areas.

The remarks outraged Labour representatives, who are now planning to report Cllr Lavender to the standards board.

Mr Lavender said he made the analogy to illustrate how cash from Europe and the Government had been spent on boosting people's employability without providing them with work opportunities.

He said: "Millions upon millions of pounds of taxpayers money has been spent on teaching people skills but this has merely converted the unemployable into the unemployed."

He added: "Businesses will not go to Edmonton, so no jobs are created. This has created a culture of dependancy in the area. The faster the money pours in, the faster it declines."

But Cllr Achilleas Georgiou blasted the remarks. He said: "It was an outrageous statement for the deputy leader to make. It insults people in Edmonton who are employed."

Edmonton councillor, Denise Headley, acknowleged the area was blighted by unemployment but accused the council of inaction: She said: "Cllr Lavender's remarks trivalise the suffering of many people. The council has £980m to spend each year. The Conservative administration should tackle the problem."

David Martin, chairman of Edmonton's Council of Churches, said he was appalled by Cllr Lavender's comments. He asked: "Why did the council take so long to access building grants to construct facilities and encourage people to settle down in Edmonton and stabilise its economy?"

Mr Lavender, who represents the Cockfosters ward, claimed Edmonton is unattractive to business because of the lack of a proper infastructure.

Edmonton has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the country. Borough-wide, the number of new jobs that are being created has dropped six per cent since 2000.