HOME Office staff spent more than £1million on taxis last year — 33 times more than when Labour first won power.

It takes the total blown on cabs over the last 11 years to a staggering £5.6million.

On top of that the Home Office spent nearly £1million on car hire last year.

Jacqui Smith's department blamed the rise on staff being forced to travel at short notice on "operational work".

But Tories last night branded the figures "utterly disgraceful" and called for an immediate block on the use of taxis.

Spokesman David Ruffley said: "The Government has obviously lost control of its budgets and is incapable of getting money to the policing frontline, where it matters. With the country in recession this is disgraceful."