MERSEYSIDE police are paying interpretors £253,000 a year to help deal with foreign offenders.

Although this is a drop from £300,000 the previous year, translation costs have risen by 44% since 2003, according to figures released under the freedom of information act.

Shadow police minister David Ruffley said: 'These figures show that we are importing more foreign criminals.

'Police budgets are being hit and the money could be better spent on more frontline policing of our streets.'