WHAT do Oxford fugitive Ian McLean and runaway teacher Jeremy Forrest have in common?

The answer is that they were both brought to justice using the European Arrest Warrant which saw the 10th anniversary of its implementation at the beginning of this year.

Since its introduction, the Euro-warrant has led to the speedy deportation of over 4,000 foreign criminal suspects.

It has also ensured that hundreds of Britain’s most-wanted criminals have been brought back to face justice in the UK, putting an end to the days when gangsters could escape to the so-called ‘Costa del Crime’.

In an era of global organised crime, international co-operation allows our police to keep the local community safe and obtain justice for victims of crime. So why deprive them of this crucial crime-fighting tool?

Thanks to the Liberal Democrats in government we no longer have to answer this question, as Conservative plans to confine this vital tool to history have rightly been shelved.

CATHERINE BEARDER MEP
Park End Street
Oxford