Charles Clarke has been axed in Tony Blair's Cabinet reshuffle.

The beleaguered Home Secretary, right, lost his job today following mounting criticism over the release of foreign prisoners marked for deportation and a series of revelations about crimes committed by prisoners released early.

Earlier this week, the T&A reported that Mustaf Jamma, wanted in connection with the shooting dead of PC Sharon Beshenivsky in Bradford, should have been deported to his home country of Somalia.

The decision to allow the 25-year-old to stay in the UK was made just months before he was implicated in the murder of PC Beshenivsky in November.

The T&A has also highlighted the case of Stephen Ayre, a murderer freed early from prison on licence, who then abducted and raped a ten-year-old boy because he wanted to go back to jail.

Mr Clarke is replaced as Home Secretary by the Defence Secretary John Reid, and Margaret Beckett is made Foreign Secretary, replacing Jack Straw who becomes Leader of the Commons.

John Prescott reatined his title of Deputy Prime Minister but lost his sprawling department.

Current Leader of the Commons Geoff Hoon becomes European Minister in the Cabinet to make way for Jack Straw