300 British criminals would walk free under Conservative plans

10.02.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 25th May 2009

More than 300 dangerous criminals would have walked free under the Conservatives' policy on Europe, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. Conservative MEPs voted against the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), which has slashed extradition times across the EU from an average of eighteen months to just 43 days.

David Cameron's Conservative party would allow hundreds of murderers, thieves, rapists and paedophiles to walk free if they get their way on 4 June. Said Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne:

"The arm of the British law must be long enough to drag villains back from the beach bars and put them behind prison bars where they belong."

"The Conservatives are putting swivel-eyed dogma ahead of our children's safety. This is the madness of a political lunatic fringe living on Fantasy Island. The Tories should get real before the criminals get us."

"The Tories want to tie up the police and prosecutors in red tape so that we would take years rather than days extradite rapists and robbers on the run. The Conservatives are happy for villains to sip their cocktails while sticking two fingers up to the law."

Graham Watson MEP, Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, guided the EAW legislation through the European Parliament in 2001. He added:

"The Tories fought tooth and nail against the European Arrest Warrant because they'd rather indulge their dogma than catch serious criminals. Seven years later, nothing has changed.

"What would those Tories say now to the victims of the 335 dangerous criminals arrested under European Arrest Warrants who might otherwise have walked free?

"They must apologise now for a policy that puts the public at risk."