British courts are dealing with more than 700 notifications involving European Union migrants every week in the UK – a rise of nearly 40 per cent in five years.

In a fresh blow for EU backers, figures show that Europeans have been involved in 146,100 notifications – including murder and rape – since 2012.

Poles and Romanians are the worst offenders, fuelling fears over the impact of EU expansion.

British courts are handing out more than 700 convictions involving European Union migrants every week in the UK – a rise of nearly 40 per cent in five years (stock photograph)

But the statistics show that only 19,227 foreign crooks have been deported in the past four years – many of whom will have originally come from outside Europe.

Critics seized on the figures as evidence that the bloc's freedom of movement rules are routinely being abused.

Under an EU information-sharing system, British police forces notify counterparts in other member states if one of its citizens is convicted of a crime here.

The figures were released by the National Police Chiefs' Council under the Freedom of Information Act, which has exposed numerous public sector scandals but is now under threat from the Government.

They showed that last year 37,079 notifications were made. This is equivalent to 713 a week – or 101 every day.

It compared to 27,056 notifications in 2010 – meaning there has been a 37 per cent increase for EU citizens in the UK.

A notification also includes an appeal or a breach of a court order, said criminal records office ACRO.

Experts suggest that the figures are evidence that the surge of migration sparked by Britain throwing open its doors to citizens from the former Soviet bloc has led to a rise in the number of crimes.

In 2015, there were notifications concerning 10,300 Poles and 6,249 Romanians. They were followed by citizens from Ireland (5,164), Lithuania (4,557) and Latvia (2,330).

Jack Montgomery, spokesman for Eurosceptic group Leave.EU, who uncovered the figures, said: 'Remain campaigners like to claim that the EU is a huge boon to security and public safety. Free movement is enabling tens of thousands of crimes to be committed every year. This is a dreadful trade-off, however you measure it, and the situation is clearly worsening.

MP David Davis (pictured) said the figures demonstrate that 'freedom of movement means we can't keep out people who we would wish to keep out in the public interest'

'The public are being endangered and the law-abiding majority of immigrants are being given a bad name, which worsens tensions.'

David Green, director of think-tank Civitas, added: 'When we consider if immigration is a bad thing or a good thing we have got to remember that a lot of people who arrive here are criminals.'

And Conservative MP David Davis said: 'This is just a demonstration that freedom of movement means we can't keep out people who we would wish to keep out in the public interest, or expel people we would wish to keep out.'

There were no details regarding offences or sentences. But figures will include a convicted Polish rapist who changed his name and used false documents to enter the UK and rape two more women he met online. Rafal Bargiel, 40, was jailed for life last December.

EU citizens sentenced to jail will be eligible for deportation but officials must check if they are a threat to public security, public policy or public health.

In 2014, the last calendar year for which figures are available, 1.2million offenders were convicted in Britain's courts. There are about 3million EU citizens among Britain's 63.7million population. This was a 34 per cent rise on 2010. A Britain Stronger In Europe spokesman said: 'Our membership of the EU keeps us safer from terrorism and cross-border crime.

'Those advocating an end to free movement would also end our membership of the single market – hitting British businesses hard and increasing prices in the shops.