Pop band Squeeze criticise David Cameron live on BBC as he guests on Andrew Marr Show

British pop band Squeeze used a live TV performance on The Andrew Marr Show to attack fellow guest David Cameron's social-housing policy moments after the UK prime minister announced new plans for sink estates. The hitmakers changed the lyrics to their new single Cradle to the Grave.

"I grew up in council housing, part of what made Britain great," sang lead singer Glenn Tilbrook in the final, altered verse of the song. "There are some here who are hell bent on the destruction of the welfare state," he continued.

The prime minister was just feet away on the sofa of the BBC current-events show, where he had earlier pledged to tear down "brutal high-rise towers" and "bleak housing" on around 100 sink estates in the country as part of a £140m ($203m) regeneration programme.

Downing Street said it was not commenting on the performance, and did not know whether Cameron was a fan of the band.

The song's original lyrics went, "They say time will wait for no man. They say time is on my side. I can never make my mind up. As it all goes whizzing by."

The band, formed in 1974 with roots in the council estates of Deptford, south London, later tweeted about the third-verse message for the prime minister, and posted a video of the performance on Facebook.

Together with Chris Difford, Tilbrook has led a revolving line up of musicians in the new wave and pop band, who reached their commercial peak in the late 1970s and 1980s with songs including Cool for Cats, Tempted and Up the Junction. Jools Holland was a member of the group in its early days.

Tilbrook has previously nailed his political colours to the mast, telling WhatsOn North that he was "very much not" a Tory, although he was doing OK for himself and earning good money. "I think we, as a country, are going backwards under a Tory administration seemingly intent on pursuing little people and demonising immigrants," he told the programme in 2013.

A BBC spokeswoman said that the producers of The Andrew Marr Show had not been aware of Squeeze's planned protest and lyric changes.