A POLICE task force has been formed to target and deport foreigners who commit crimes in Derbyshire.

Detective Sergeant Ian Barker, who leads the team, said he was already “staggered” at the extent of the problem.

Derbyshire is one of five East Midlands forces to set up foreign national crime teams and officers work closely with other agencies such as the UK Border Agency and customs.

The teams tackle everything from gangs that illegally bring people into the country to people who commit offences ranging from drug-dealing to fraud.

They have been run on a pilot basis since April but were today given the go-ahead to run permanently.

Cases dealt with by the Derbyshire team so far include that of Jamaican Carlington Walton, who was sentenced to a year in prison last month for fraud.

Police said Walton, formerly of Grovebury Drive, Littleover, had been deported in 2005 but re-entered the UK by using someone else's details.

He was arrested in April and, once he has served his sentence, he will be deported.

During a launch of the teams at Leicestershire police headquarters in Enderby, Borders and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said that one person was deported from the UK every eight minutes.

Although police say it is difficult to know whether there is an increase in the problem of foreign crooks, Det Sgt Barker said it was “quite significant”.

He added: “Until you start looking at the issues, you don't realise how big it is. It's staggering.

“We've been running since April 1 and we've got 40 referrals of issues relating to foreign nationals committing offences on various levels.

“We deal with individuals who are in possession of fake documents and that leads on to where they're being sourced.

“They use them to open bank accounts, credit accounts and to obtain driving documents.

“We're also looking at exploitation and people being trafficked into the country.”

The teams have been formed in response to the Government making the capture and removal of foreign criminals a priority.

Unlike before, when the force as a whole dealt with offences, the specific teams have been assigned to look at crimes, build up intelligence and prepare cases.

Det Sgt Barker heads up a six-strong team in Derbyshire, which also includes four constables and an immigration officer.

They target criminal networks and individuals from abroad and look to charge them, confiscate their assets and, if possible, deport them.

Det Sgt Barker said human trafficking operations were a major concern and his team was also working closely with officers from Operation Pentameter, which was set up to deal with gangs who bring women into the country and force them to work in the sex trade.