Attorney General Baroness Scotland said that the delay in dealing with the data sent by Dutch authorities was "highly regrettable".

She said that all such arrangements for exchange in future should be subject to ministerial approval.

The discovery of the data blunder in January sparked an urgent manhunt for foreign criminals wanted for serious offences, including rape and murder, in the Netherlands but left at large in Britain for up to a year.

At least 11 of the individuals committed crimes, including assaults, in this country while the disc lay unattended to on a desk for at least a year.

The review was carried out by CPS chief executive Peter Lewis.