BORIS Johnson has accused critics of “political point scoring” as he resisted calls to apologise over controversial remarks about Libya.

The Foreign Secretary caused outrage in the fragile country, which is dealing with terrorism, organised crime, internal division, poverty and more, when he suggested it could become a playground for wealthy Westerners – if investors could “clear the dead bodies away”.

The head of Libya’s UN-backed government was amongst those to condemn Johnson for the comments about the city of Sirte, where government forces spent almost one year fighting to push Daesh out.

The operation was backed by America and saw control regained in the second half of 2016, but improvised explosive devices left by the terror group remain.

At a fringe event at the Tory conference, Johnson said: “There’s a group of UK business people, wonderful guys, who want to invest in Sirte on the coast, near where Gaddafi was actually captured and executed.

“They literally have a brilliant vision to turn Sirte, with the help of the municipality of Sirte, to turn it into the next Dubai.

“The only thing they’ve got to do is clear the dead bodies away and then they’ll be there.”

Ministers Damian Green and Jeremy Hunt distanced the government from the remarks and Downing Street said his choice of words had not been “appropriate”.

In the House of Commons today, Glasgow East MP David Linden asked Johnson whether he would apologise or resign for the “gaffe”, which Linden said had been “widely deplored”.

Stephen Gethins, who represents North East Fife, said the Foreign Secretary had managed to unite fractured Libya over the comment, while Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton quoted Taghyeer Party leader Guma El-Gamaty, who called on Johnson to apologise to the families of fighters who died tackling Daesh.

He stated: “Libyans fought and died fighting [Daesh] in Sirte. Many remain where they fell. It is insensitive to talk about those bodies as if they are some obstacle to British businessmen enjoying beer and sunbathing.”

But shrugging off the criticism, Johnson said: “I don’t believe that political point-scoring of this kind, of trivialising the reality or ignoring the reality of the security situation in Sirte, does any favours to the people of Libya. What they want to see is the international community concerted and coordinated around the UN plan. That is what we are working to achieve.”

Following the exchange, Linden said: “It beggars belief that the Foreign Secretary still can’t apologise for his insensitive and callous remarks even after several weeks.

“The slaughter of civilians and those battling on the frontlines against Daesh is no joking matter, yet the fact that Boris Johnson can elicit laughter at his party conference with these crass comments tells you all you need to know about today’s Tories.

“Scotland is being represented on the international stage by an arrogant and incompetent buffoon. It isn’t just embarrassing, it’s deeply damaging to our international reputation. If the Prime Minister wants to start to be taken seriously, at home or abroad, then she needs to cut the clowns from her cabinet.”

The challenge came on the same day the UNHCR refugee agency said it has been “working round the clock” for more than a week to “meet the urgent needs” of more than 14,500 refugees and migrants who had been held captive by smugglers in Libyan farms and warehouses.

Another 6,000 people are understood to remain in the hands of criminals in the city of Sabratha, 500km along the coast from Sirte.

Those freed were taken to a hangar and are now being transferred to official detention centres, where humanitarian groups are providing urgent help.

The agency said frontline workers are faced with “human suffering and abuse on a shocking scale”. A spokesperson said: “There are pregnant women and new born babies. Hundreds of people were discovered with no clothes or shoes. Scores of them are in need of urgent medical care, with some suffering from bullet wounds and other visible signs of abuse.

“Refugees and migrants who were rescued from the smugglers are visibly traumatised. Most of them say that they were subjected to numerous human rights abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence, forced labour and sexual exploitation.

“Hundreds told us they had not eaten for days. UNHCR staff have identified a worrying number of unaccompanied and separated children, many under the age of six.”