London, Oct.11 (ANI): An investigation has revealed uncovered scores of cases where offenders from overseas, including killers and sex attackers, have been able to stay on in Britain despite strenuous attempts by the Government to deport them, reports The Telegraph.Criminals have reportedly been using the 1998 Human Rights Act to avoid being sent back to their homelands - despite a pledge by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to remove any foreigner who breaks the law. In cases thought to have cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds, immigration judges have overturned attempts by the Home Office to remove at least 50 foreign criminals from the country in the past 12 months, after lawyers argued that deporting them would breach their human rights.

In July 2007, shortly after becoming prime minister, Brown told foreign nationals to “play by the rules or face the consequences”, warning: “If you commit a crime you will be deported from our country.”

Yet in several cases, criminals were allowed to remain in the UK despite courts acknowledging that they pose a danger to the public.

The 50 cases, which were all rigorously opposed by the Home Office in court, include 15 criminals with convictions for violent crime, four sex offenders and 13 with drug convictions.

The total is likely to represent only the tip of the iceberg because they were all heard at the second tier of appeal, and many more criminals could have won the right to remain here at the lower level.

Official figures are not available, according to the Home Office and the courts. (ANI)