Anil Dawar, Express, September 21, 2011

A rapist has avoided deportation from the UK after European judges yesterday ruled kicking him out would violate his right to a family life.

The 24-year-old Nigerian has no partner or children but the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ordered the British Government to let him stay and pay £3,500 of his legal bill.

The rapist, identified only as AA after the court gave in to his demands for anonymity, was 15 when he was given four years in 2002 for raping a 13-year-old girl. He had only been in the country two years at the time.

Since his conviction, the rapist from Bexleyheath, south-east London, has completed A-levels, a degree and a masters course at the taxpayers’ expense and now works for a local authority.

UK Independence Party MEP Gerard Batten said: “Yet again we see that because of the human rights industry we can no longer deal with foreign criminals on our own soil.”

A Border Agency spokeswoman said: “We are extremely disappointed by this judgment and will consider the next steps carefully.”