Some of the country's most dangerous criminals could be let out of prison early, Labour's sentencing tsar has sensationally claimed.

Former Justice Secretary David Gauke admitted vile inmates - including rapists and killers - could be released to resolve the overcrowding crisis behind bars.

Mr Gauke admitted the proposals will be "controversial" and "difficult", adding dangerous offenders "will have to be released sooner if we are serious about not exceeding capacity."

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick told the Daily Express: "Labour's failing Justice Secretary has already let out dozens of dangerous prisoners by accident and left criminals untagged for up to eight weeks.

"She won't rule out scrapping prison sentences for shoplifters and now serious offenders might be let out early. The British public deserve better than this chaos under Shabana Mahmood."

Shadow Prisons Minister Kieran Mullan added: "These sorts of comments show a complete failure to remember that going to prison is a punishment.

"Victims and the wider public expect criminals to be fairly punished. So far nothing Mr Gauke has said has seriously engaged with this question and his interim report was a patronising cherry-picking exercise that seemed to suggest the public were simply ignorant and would agree with him if only they were properly educated.

"There is clear evidence the public think current sentences are too short for serious offenders.

"It would be totally wrong to try and let even more prisoners out early without demonstrating clear public support for that."

Ministers have triggered emergency measures to lock up convicted criminals in custody suites just six months after Labour's controversial decision to release thousands of inmates last year to ease overcrowding.

A surge in prisoner numbers has pushed male prisons in England and Wales to 99 per cent capacity, MoJ sources said.

Justice chiefs want to use 200 police cells, it is understood.

The prison population stood at 87,556 as of Monday, according to data published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

This is the highest weekly figure since the population climbed to a record 88,521 on September 6 last year, just days ahead of the first wave of early releases which saw thousands of inmates freed on licence to tackle overcrowding.

And Mr Gauke revealed the Government could go even further to end the overcrowding crisis.

He said: "Where there are savings or, where, if we're going to make a substantial difference, then there's no getting away from this point, we have to look at those who are serving relatively long sentences.

"Those who are serving relatively long sentences will have to be released sooner if we are serious about not exceeding capacity.

"We have run out of space. There's no getting away from the fact that...almost any proposals that we make in this area...will have opposition. They will be controversial. They will be difficult. But nonetheless they will be necessary."

Terminally-ill offenders could also be released earlier, Mr Gauke has admitted.

He said: "There are three ways in which you can control the prison population. One is about not sending people to prison at all who might otherwise be dealt with in the community.

"The second is if people are sent to prison for them to be imprisoned for less long. And the third is about rehabilitation and about reducing the level of crime.

"Now we will look at measures that assist all three of those objectives. Whether that is people who have maybe committed relatively minor offences and currently get a prison for a short period of time.

"Is there something else that we can do there?"