British Interior Minister Charles Clarke came under renewed pressure to resign today after revealing that at least five foreign prisoners released from British jails have reoffended.
The timing of the disclosure could not be worse for Prime Minister Tony Blair, who next week faces a crucial test of his waning popularity in local elections.
Pledging to sort out the mess, Mr Clarke said he regretted the mistakes over the prisoners.
"The genuine shortcomings that have been revealed ... will be repaired," he said.
Mr Clarke has been under fire since revealing this week that 1,023 foreign nationals, including murderers and rapists, were released after serving their sentences in British prisons when they should have been considered for deportation.
Opposition leaders called for Mr Clarke's resignation but a spokesman said Mr Blair said he had confidence in the interior minister, one of his closest allies.
Facing intense criticism over the bungled release, Mr Clarke said his department had looked into the 79 most serious cases and had now begun deportation proceedings against 63 of them.
In a written statement to parliament, Mr Clarke admitted at least five of the prisoners had been convicted of new offences, including drug-related and violent crimes.
Mr Clarke's statement comes at the end of one of the worst week's of Mr Blair's nine years in power.