An influx of Eastern European criminals risks clogging up the criminal justice system and placing an extra burden on its finances, a senior Old Bailey judge warns.

His Honour Judge Tim Pontius also expresses concern at the surge in historic sex abuse cases which he called “troubling”, while conceding that the system is struggling to cope with young Islamist terrorists.

A problem with black teenagers in Britain “routinely” carrying knives in the street particularly depressed him, he added.

He gave a rare insight into the issues confronting the judiciary in an exclusive interview with The Telegraph to mark his retirement after more than 20 years as a Crown Court judge.

Judge Pontius, 68, earned himself one of the most feared reputations among criminals for the severity of his sentencing.

Yet he is one of the most popular judges among court staff and one of the most colourful, having come from a broken home and taken an arduous route to the top after failing his exams.