CHARLES Clarke was under fresh pressure last night after admitting that at least 38 violent criminals and sex offenders are still on the run.

One week after the foreign prisoner scandal broke, the Home Secretary told MPs that of the 79 serious offenders who should have been considered for deportation at the end of their sentences, 32 had been tracked down and that another nine had been located but would not be deported.

The remaining 38 are still at large. He did not reveal how many of the 38 had been convicted of murder, manslaughter, rape and child sex attacks.

But the total number of serious offenders on the run could be even higher. A further 11 have been identified, but Mr Clarke did not reveal how many were in custody.

The only relief for the Home Secretary was not having to announce any further serious reoffending by the 1,023 released prisoners.

Of these, deportation is being pursued in 446 cases while in a further 108, consideration has been completed, MPs were told.

The statement did little to ease the pressure on Mr Clarke with Tory home affairs spokesman David Davis accusing Mr Clarke of bungling the hunt for the foreign criminals by alerting the media to the crisis before telling police chiefs.

In the latest development, it was revealed an Iraqi Kurd wanted in Hull for attempted murder and a sex attack on a 15-year-old girl was recommended for deportation after a previous court case. The Home Office said it could not confirm whether Caliph Ali Asmar, 25, was on the list of 1,023 foreign criminals.

On Tuesday, it emerged that 25-year-old Somalian Mustaf Jamma, who is wanted in connection with the killing in Bradford of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, was allowed to stay in Britain after being jailed for robbery.

Mr Clarke tried to deflect attention from the failure to catch the freed criminals by unveiling plans for the automatic deportation all foreign nationals guilty of a jailable offence.

But it was immediately claimed that a European Union directive prevented the return of EU nationals at the end of their prison term.

It also emerged Britain had deportation agreements with more than 100 countries and lawyers pointed out the Human Rights Act would prevent returns to regimes practising torture.

Mr Blair, braced for a terrible result in today's local elections, is expected to relaunch his Government with a reshuffle, possibly as early as tomorrow.