Urgent action has been demanded by a care watchdog after an investigation found unqualified migrant workers are looking after care home residents.

The National Care Association (NCA) has warned of "widespread abuse" of Britain's immigration system, leading to untrained and overworked staff - with some unable to speak much English - caring for the elderly.

A probe into the so-called "cash for care jobs scandal" by a newspaper found operators exploit Home Office loopholes with some charging applicants "work finder fees" of up to £20,000.

The cash is said to guarantee a "100 per cent" success rate in obtaining a visa to live and work in the UK, according to the Daily Mail.

The NCA has now warned that there has been "widespread abuse" of the care system since early 2022 following the loosening of immigration rules.

The change saw the total number of foreign workers given permission to come to Britain hit a record high last year.

Alongside the surge of overseas workers into the care sector, there was also an "explosion" of operators making money from using migrant care staff as "cash cows", the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority said.

One "adviser" told an undercover reporter that for £9,000 he could help her arrange a job in just three days.