Nearly 4,000 criminals with more than 50 previous convictions were spared jail last year, new figures have shown, prompting MP calls for tighter sentencing rules.

The number of "super prolific offenders" who are convicted but not sent to prison has tripled over the past decade.

Roughly half of all crimes are now being committed by just 10 per cent of offenders, Ministry of Justice figures have shown.

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are under pressure to commit to supporting tougher sentences and boosting investment in prisons.

Since 2007, the number of offenders with more than 50 previous convictions who were convicted but spared jail has risen from 1,299 to 3,916 last year, according to data obtained through a series of Parliamentary Questions by Tory MP Neil O’Brien.

These included violent offenders - nearly a third of criminals convicted of violence against the person and had more than 25 previous convictions still escaped a jail sentence.

Meanwhile, early release of prisoners has risen sharply - one in five are now released without serving even half their sentence, up from 13 per cent in 2017.

Mr O’Brien said: “Large numbers of people should not be getting let out of prison before even the halfway mark of their sentence under early release.