Nearly 600 criminals who committed six or more crimes in 12 months were not sent to prison last year, the MP for Shipley has found.

According to the Minister of Justice, 594 people who were found guilty and had committed between five and nine crimes already last year were not jailed.

Philip Davies said the figures were “an absolute disgrace”.

He said: “This lays bare how soft our courts are even with persistent and serious offenders, and also show how ineffective community sentences are in deterring crime. These figures should shame the judiciary and successive governments.”