Clarke's political future unclear

Mr Blair said he was angry when he was first told about the releases

Charles Clarke's future as home secretary looks uncertain as Prime Minister Tony Blair adopts a "wait-and-see" policy.

In an interview he said Mr Clarke's future "depends on what happens" with the 1,023 foreign prisoners released without being deported.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said Mr Clarke was a "national tragedy" and called for him to quit.

The Lib Dems cast doubt on the number of those freed who had reoffended.

Mr Clarke said five immigrants released from prison re-offended and had been convicted for offences relating to drugs, violent disorder and inflicting bodily harm.

Two have also faced rape claims, with one case dropped because of lack of evidence.

Calls to quit

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said there was a "question mark" over the numbers.

He said: "With re-offending rates for those who leave prison under new Labour now standing at over 60%, it is hard to accept the Home Office's claim that only five re-offences took place from the hundreds of offenders liable for deportation."

He said he would write to the home secretary for clarification on the figures.

FOREIGN PRISONERS 1,023 freed without being considered for deportation 79 of them originally jailed for more serious crimes, including 13 of them for murder, manslaughter, rape or child sex offences Five of them known to have committed offences since release - including violent disorder, drug crimes and grievous and actual bodily harm Deportation action now started for 63 of the 79 more serious criminals Officials have decided nine of the offenders should not be deported

"The Home Office is adding insult to injury by appearing to play cat and mouse with the public over the statistics it has issued," he said.

"It has used the definition of 'serious offenders' without explaining which offences are included."

Mr Clarke is continuing to face calls from opposition MPs for him to quit.

Conservative leader David Cameron said the home secretary "had presided over a system that had manifestly failed" and it was time to step down.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said Mr Clarke was a "national tragedy".

"This has actually done the opposite of what his proper job is, and that is to protect the safety of the public," Mr Davis told Sky News TV.

"If I were in his position, I would tender my resignation to the prime minister, and I wouldn't take no for an answer," he added.

I make no excuses for what happened, it was wrong and shouldn't have happened Tony Blair

In a News of the World interview, Mr Blair said he had not accepted Mr Clarke's offer to resign because his home secretary had made efforts to rectify the situation.

But he said he was "not going to speculate" on whether Mr Clarke would be out of a job if a serious crime was committed by one of those released.

"It depends on what happens, what the reasons are," he added.

Mr Blair said he had been "pretty angry" when he was first told about the releases.

"But it was important to get to the facts and see what people had been trying to do," he said.

There was "no excuse" for the government not to have sorted the problem but it was "a systematic failure that goes back years", Mr Blair added.

A Downing Street spokesman later said the prime minister was "totally supportive of the home secretary in resolving the problems that he has been addressing over the last few days".

Support

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has defended Mr Clarke, saying he still has the authority to carry on as home secretary.

"He is a good minister. When something like this goes wrong it's not surprising as he did he thought, 'Well should I consider my position, should I go?'" he told Andrew Marr on BBC One's Sunday AM programme.

"I think the view was that he should carry on, he should sort this out."

Police officers are undertaking raids to detain 63 of the higher risk offenders.

The Home Office has not revealed how many have been tracked down so far by the 200 officers involved in the hunt.

They are among the 1,023 prisoners released into the community without being considered for deportation over the past seven years - 79 of whom had been in jail for serious offences.