Minister knew of illegal immigrants working for police months before scandal broke

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Immigration Minister Liam Byrne did not tell the Home Secretary for three months, it emerged yesterday.

Yet Home Office officials had been aware of the problem for more than two years.

Now as many as 10,000 illegal immigrants are estimated to have been cleared to work in the security industry.

Delay: Liam Byrne did not tell Home Secretary for three months

But it has emerged that fewer than 400 have been stripped of the right to work.

In April, Mr Byrne was told illegal immigrants were working for the Metropolitan Police.

But he did not inform the then Home Secretary John Reid, whose successor Jacqui Smith was finally informed three months later.

Pressed to explain yesterday, Mr Byrne told MPs on the Home Affairs Committee: "If there was a big public announcement back when we were just beginning to understand the nature of the problem that may have undermined enforcement operations."

He also told MPs that the Security Industry Authority - a Home Office agency - had been made aware in April 2005 that illegal immigrants were seeking jobs as security guards or door staff.

At that stage, only 1.4 per cent of applications were found to be from those with no right to work.

A later investigation found the true number was closer to 10 per cent.

Last night, the Conservatives said that a "staggering" lack of communication at the top of the Home Office was putting the public at "grave risk".