Early release convicts who should still be behind bars commit two crimes EVERY day

Two crimes are committed every day by former convicts who should still be behind bars, the Government admitted yesterday.

The offending rate by criminals released early to tackle prison overcrowding has soared by 25 per cent in a month.

The offences by so-called End of Custody Licence inmates - who are released 18 days before their sentence reaches even the halfway point - include a murder, a sex crime and a string of violent attacks.

Tory justice spokesman Nick Herbert said: "Every month this discredited scheme creates more unnecessary victims of crime.

"This disgraceful policy is the direct result of the Government's failure to build adequate prison capacity and the longer it continues the more harm it causes.

"What does the Government have to say to the victims of these crimes committed by criminals who should be behind bars?"

The most alarming figure is the steep rise in the re-offending rate.

In November, the 2,600 inmates granted early release - supposedly under strict supervision - were responsible for 64 offences, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice yesterday.

During the previous month, the same number of criminals were set free, but there were only 47 new crimes.

Critics said it suggests either more dangerous inmates are now being released, or the supervision is less strict than when the scheme was introduced last June.

The total number of inmates released early is now almost 14,000.

They include 2,533 violent thugs, 280 robbers, 1,274 burglars and even four sex offenders. One of those freed murdered a teacher when he should have still been in prison.

Andrew Mournian, 36, had been jailed for an earlier attack on his partner Amanda Murphy, a mother of two.

Five days after his release - with 13 days of his jail term still to serve under normal circumstances - Mournian brutally beat Miss Murphy around the head at their home in Westborough, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and she died three days later.

Jack Straw has announced plans to build an extra 15,000 prison places by 2014, taking the total to 96,000, to end the overcrowding crisis.

But the Government's own expert, Lord Carter, said more than 100,000 places are needed.

This could lead to the increased use of electronic tags, with the early release scheme likely to remain in place.