Monmouth MP David Davies has thrown down a challenge to environmental groups over immigration.

The Conservative MP says groups such as Friends of the Earth should speak out out on the effect immigration is having on housing.

He has produced figures suggesting Monmouth­shire will have to find homes for 350 people a year for the foreseeable future.

"There is a real danger that immigration is becoming an issue which only extremists will raise," said Mr Davies.

 "It goes without saying that the millions of law abiding people who have come here, learnt English, got jobs and integrated into society are to be made welcome and those who try to whip up prejudice based on ethnicity or where people were born should be completely condemned.

"At the same time we cannot escape the fact that continued large scale immigration is fuelling the demand for housebuilding, including in areas like Monmouthshire, even though the number of recent UK arrivals living here is small.

"In Monmouthshire, with a population of 85,000, we constitute 0.14 per cent of the UK population of 60 million. 0.14 per cent of the 250,000 annual population increase is 350, meaning that to deal with the effect of the annual immigration increase Monmouth­shire County Council will have to continue building hundreds of houses for 350 people a year for many years to come.

"In reality, because of its location near major transport routes such as the M4, Monmouthshire may well end up seeing much higher demand but most parts of Wales will be affected in some way by rising population.

"In Monmouthshire one of the major towns in the county can expect to see fields set aside to build hundreds of extra homes each year, or alternatively whole new housing estates will be thrown up in the open countryside.

"It is shocking but inevitable and those who are angry should voice their support for measures to reduce the increase in Britain's population.

"The time has come for environmental groups to come off the fence and join a broad coalition of moderate centre left and right politicians who completely abhor xenophobia and racism, but wish to voice their concerns about the effect of population growth on the environment."

Gareth Clubb, of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said the biggest driver of migration would be climate change and he has offered to meet the MP to discuss climate science.