Around 250 foreign criminals, who should have been deported at the end of their prison sentences, have been allowed to stay in Britain by the Home Office, according to a new report.

They include at least one terrorist, up to eight killers and rapists, 20 robbers and eight paedophiles.

Rather than letting a judge decide their fate, the Home Office accepted that deporting them would be a breach or their human rights, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "There is no point in wasting taxpayers' money contesting cases where we were advised we would lose.

"We examined each claim individually but case law based on the old rules meant the courts were highly likely to uphold them.

"That's why we changed the rules last month to help us remove criminals who try to use Article 8 to dodge deportation.

"As a result, we believe we will see fewer cases where the Government is likely to lose and therefore fewer uncontested hearings."