Concern: Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has warned that the criminal justice system is not adapting quickly enough to cope with the impact of immigration

More than half of all foreign criminals caught in the UK have a right to stay that prevents them being deported, Britain’s top police officer said yesterday.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe warned that the criminal justice system is not adapting quickly enough to cope with the impact of immigration.

A third of crimes in London are committed by foreign offenders, the Met chief said. But the majority are EU citizens who may have the freedom to travel between and live in all member states.

Sir Bernard said police must do more to stop those banned from Britain getting in and to kick out those who should no longer be here.

Speaking at a conference on foreign offenders, he said: ‘Over the course of 12 months, approximately 80,000 foreign nationals will enter our custody suites.

‘A large proportion of them – in fact more than half – are from the European Union and have a right of entry and a right of abode. So any suggestion of deporting foreign nationals who we arrest is more complicated than it appears.’

Police still struggle to obtain fast and accurate information on foreign suspects that have been arrested. They fear dangerous criminals and persistent offenders are slipping through the net as a result, he said.

The Met has been running a pilot scheme to bridge the information gap which has seen more than 2,000 migrants kicked out, at least 100 of them from Poland and Romania.

Sir Bernard said: ‘We cannot accept the risk of a foreign national wanted or suspected of serious crime, be it rape, robbery or murder, walking from our custody suite unidentified. The systems, partnerships and processes that we secure must provide not only accurate information and intelligence – but must do so at the speed with which we need them.’

Earlier this year the Government pledged that arrested foreign nationals – including EU citizens – will face deportation even if they are not convicted of any crime.

The crackdown will use a European law that states those wanting to remain here must be exercising their right to work or be self-sufficient. This could be used to tackle groups such as the capital’s notorious Park Lane beggars, a group largely from Eastern European countries such as Romania.

In London, border guards have recently removed 44 Polish nationals, 64 Romanians and two Bulgarians, all either suspected offenders or criminals.

A further 142 EU nationals, or those with EU rights, are being investigated with a view to removing them.