Robert Jenrick wriggled today over a Tory leadership campaign video claiming that UK special forces are 'killing rather than capturing terrorists' to avoid European human rights laws.

The former immigration minister came under fire from his rivals and Labour over his comments in a social media broadcast. 

He repeatedly dodged saying whether he knew the statement to be true as he was grilled by the media and Conservative Party members at its annual conference in Buirmingham.

But later, appearing on the main stage this afternoon he was asked whether he believes 'special forces are killing rather than capturing terrorists because lawyers will set them free under the European Court', he said: 'I do, I do.'

He continued: 'Our very respected former colleague Ben Wallace, one of the best defence secretaries in modern times, used his first intervention after leaving office to make almost this very point.

'He said that he would think it was difficult for the UK, our armed forces, to conduct a similar operation to the one that the United States did to kill or capture Osama bin Laden.

'That's wrong. I don't want our human rights apparatus to be standing in the way of taking the right operational decisions for our national security and for protecting the lives of the brave men and women who serve in our special forces.'

Rivals for the Conservative top job have heaped pressure on Mr Jenrick - seen by many as the favourite to win - to back up the allegation about the European Court of Human Rights. 

Shadow home secretary James Cleverly, a former soldier, said UK forces did not 'murder people'. 

In the video, posted on social media yesterday, Mr Jenrick underlined his pledge to take the UK out of the ECHR - which is separate to the EU.

'Our special forces are killing, rather than capturing, terrorists because our lawyers tell us that if they are caught the European Court will set them free,' he said.  

Mr Jenrick told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The point I was making was one that our former defence secretary Ben Wallace has made, which is that our human rights apparatus including the ECHR is encroaching on the battlefield.

'And it is impacting the decisions that our generals and military decision-makers are taking as to what kind of action is required in these difficult situations.'

Repeatedly asked whether he knew special forces were killing rather than capturing terrorists, he pointed to a previous interview by Mr Wallace raising concerns that human rights were affecting the military.

'As Ben Wallace has said in that interview, decision makers are being asked to make decisions which they might not ordinarily make, for example to call in a drone strike and take lethal action in that way,' Mr Jenrick said.

Challenged that he seemed unable to back up his claim, Mr Jenrick said: 'Of course I'm not going to elaborate on particular cases because these things, these cases are not things that any minister or foreign minister can speak about.'

However, Mr Cleverly told Sky News: 'You're going to have to ask Robert to justify that statement. That's not something which I have heard.

'That's not something which I'm comfortable kind of repeating.

'As I say, if Robert is able to justify that I think he should.

'The British military always abide by international humanitarian law, the law of armed conflict.

'We have, I was about to say some of the most, no, we have the most professional military in the world. Our military do not murder people.'

Leadership rival Tom Tugendhat, a former soldier, said he was 'extremely concerned'.

Asked whether he agreed with the claim, the shadow security minister told Sky News: 'No, I don't. I think what he said is wrong and I'm afraid demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of military operations and the law of armed conflict.

'I'm extremely concerned that such words should not be seen in any way to encourage people to take any action other than surrender to British forces when asked to do so.'

Former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve described the clip as 'one of the most astonishing videos I have ever seen posted by a Conservative MP, let alone a candidate for the leadership'.

A Labour source said: 'Robert Jenrick's ludicrous attempt to politicise our special forces shows you how far the Tories have fallen. He should apologise. Our brave servicemen and women deserve better than this.'