Offenders on probation have murdered 121 people in the last two years, according to figures published yesterday by the Ministry of Justice.

In addition, criminals being supervised by the probation service have been convicted of 44 cases of manslaugher, 103 rapes and 80 kidnapings.

Overall they were responsbile for more than 1,000 violent or sexual offences in the two years from April 2006 and almost 400 are awaiting trial.

According to the Ministry of Justice, offenders who were already on probation have been convicted of 1,463 crimes in the past two years, equivalent to more than two every day.

Of those, 1,104 were classed as 'serious further offences'.

There were 121 murder convictions and 22 for attempted murder. The report said 351 alleged offenders were still awaiting trial.

Among cases were Gary Chester-Nash, who had more than 30 convictions and a long history of violence and threats to women when he walked free from prison in 2006.

Instead of returning to his bail hostel in East London, Chester-Nash, 28, disappeared and travelled to Cornwall where he broken into a seaside bungalow and stabbed to death Jean Bowditch, 59, while she was cleaning the premises.

A report earlier this year claimed bungling and 'confused' officials failed to enforce supervision measures needed to protect the public, or to raise the alarm when he disappeared.

The report said the case highlighted 'inadequate performance' by probation officers and voiced concern over poor 'risk of harm' assessments used to judge the threat from the most dangerous criminals.

Most inquiries into serious further offending by people on probation are never published. It is only when they reveal failings which could effect the wider probation service that a further report is conducted by the chief inspector of probation and the findings released.

Harry Fletcher, assistant general secretary of the National Association of Probation Officers, said less than one offender in 200 commits a further serious crime while under supervision.

“We are dealing with people with mental health problems, drug and alcohol addictions and further offences are inevitable.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “The Probation Service knows the impact crimes have on victims and their families and is constantly working towards having the best possible systems in place to supervise these offenders in the community and protect the public.

“The vast majority of SFOs are committed by offenders given a community order by the court, having been convicted of less serious offences.

“In most cases, nothing in their previous offending histories has indicated that they would be capable of such serious offences.”

Nick Herbert, the shadow justice secretary, said: “ A murder a week committed by an offender who is meant to be under supervision is bound to be a matter of huge concern.

“It just underlines the need to look again at the arrangements for supervising offenders in the community who pose a risk to the public.”

David Howarth, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said the probation service was “hugely overstretched”.

He added: “If its workload increases, funding is cut and morale is shattered by endless Whitehall tinkering, then it is increasingly likely that people will slip through the net.”

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