News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Thousands of hardened criminals, including burglars, muggers and drug dealers, are escaping going to prison each year.

Less than a third of violent robbers get locked up, barely half of drug pushers and just 46% of those convicted of conspiracy to murder.

The shock figures, obtained by Labour’s Sadiq Khan, come a week after Justice Secretary Ken Clarke caused outrage by outlining plans to give rapists a 50% “discount” off their prison sentence if they plead guilty straight away.

Mr Khan yesterday accused the Coalition of being soft on crime. He added: “There’s a problem here with not just Ken Clarke but this ­Government who seem to be out of touch with the concerns of not just women but victims and real people up and down the country.”

Mr Clarke’s proposal is part of a wider package of measures to jail 3,000 fewer criminals, reducing the prison population to 80,000 to save money.

The measures have been soundly rejected by voters who now think Labour is tougher on crime than the Tories, a YouGov poll found.

Just 9% of the public believe David Cameron’s government is harder on criminals than its rivals were, while 62% are against halving sentences for rapists. Today’s sentencing figures will further outrage public opinion. The official ­government statistics show 43% of people who have sex with a child under 13 are locked up and only 29% of child snatchers go to prison. And a mere 22% of those convicted of cruelty or neglect of children find themselves behind bars.

Just 28% of cars thieves go to jail, with more than half of these getting less than four months. Only 32% of muggers are caged.

Of the arsonists and dangerous drivers convicted, 38% get sent down along with 45% of gun criminals.

The figures were released after a ­Parliamentary question placed by justice spokesman Mr Khan. He said Labour strongly opposed the 50% “discount” on sentencing policy.

Mr Khan added: “There’s no evidence that increasing the discount will lead to more people pleading guilty.

“You’ve got to make sure victims and the public have ­confidence in the criminal justice system. What this would mean is not just simply people with the conviction of rape being released, but people convicted of attempted murder, GBH, downloading child porn and a variety of other offences. There is no evidence that it leads to better justice.”

Mr Khan also denied accusations that under Ed Miliband Labour had abandoned being tough on crime.

He said: “I’m very proud that crime went down by 42% during the 13 years we were in power. For the first time in history, a government left office with crime lower than when they went in.”