Foreign criminals have been awarded compensation of £500,000 for being kept in custody beyond their release date.

The prisoners were held while the Government considered whether to deport them.

Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, told MPs that between April 2008 and June this year the UK Border Agency paid out £498,897.21, but did not disclose how many prisoners were involved.

His written parliamentary answer was published on the day Parliament rose for the summer recess.

Dominic Grieve, shadow justice secretary, said: “The public will rightly be shocked to learn that not only are the Government failing to deport foreign prisoners but taxpayers are also paying the price for the Government’s incompetence”.

Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, said: “Our priority is to protect the public and we believe foreign lawbreakers who have committed serious offences should be sent home at the earliest opportunity and last year removed nearly 5,400 foreign criminals.

"We do not apologise for our tough system, but where the courts tell us that we have detained a criminal for too long, we are bound to accept their decision.”

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