The Tories were at the centre of a row over "negative campaigning" last night, after the release of their first party election broadcast.

The bleak, documentary-style film said dangerous criminals released early from prison under Labour have raped twice when they would otherwise have been locked up.

It accused ministers of breaking pledges that no one convicted of "serious" or sex offences would be let out early.

Last night, Home Office Minister Paul Boateng condemned the broadcast as "desperate, dire and a damning indictment of the way the Conservatives intend to run this campaign".

He said: "It is negative advertising of the worst possible sort."

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, described the broadcast as "scaremongering".

But earlier, on the campaign trail, Tory leader William Hague strongly defended the presentation.

"Our election broadcast points out what is actually happening in the country and the disgraceful record of this Government on crime," he said.

"Thirty-three thousand prisoners have been let out of prison early and many of them have gone on to offend again. I think it is going to be a major issue in this election campaign."

Meanwhile, for the Labour camp, Prime Minister Tony Blair will launch his party's manifesto today, promising a "radical" agenda for another two terms in government.

The 44-page, 28,000-word document, called Ambitions for Britain, contains ten goals for 2010 set out under five chapter headings.

Each chapter will also contain five "steps" towards those goals to be accomplished in the next Parliament.

But Mr Blair's spokesman last night refused to say what the document would pledge on tax or the controversial issue of fox-hunting when it is launched in Birmingham.

He said of tax only: "You will see what we say on tax tomorrow and it will be very clear."

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