1. WINDSOR WALKABOUT Among others lining the route in Windsor, west of London, was Margaret Kittle from Winona, Canada, who made a last–minute decision to fly over.

2. It quoted a letter from senior immigration inspector Alan Kittle that confirmed that the bulk of extra staff had not been recruited despite a funding boost of 2.7m last summer.

3. But at the same time the senior immigration inspector, Alan Kittle, in charge of a "criminal casework team" responsible for deciding whether foreign prisoners should be deported, was telling colleagues: "It has been rewarding to see an improvement in the way both [the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and Prison Service] departments work together." Mr Kittle was due to leave his job for a more senior post in the Home Office on January 25.

4. He said the criminal casework team had seen "some increase in casework staffing but have, however, been promised a far greater increase in the spring of 2006 which is good news for our staff and you!" Though prisoner releases were still going on without being considered for deportation, Mr Kittle told colleagues: "I think we would all agree that IND and the Prison Service stand in a far better position now than has ever been the case in the past to work closely together." A Home Office spokeswoman last night said the department would not discuss personnel issues within the immigration service but added that "standard assessment procedures for promotion are in place across IND". The Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, Nick Clegg, said last night: "Promoting people who were at the heart of this mess suggests the Home Office is in a state of denial from top to toe." Yesterday Mr Blair again defended Mr Clarke and his two other embattled ministers, Patricia Hewitt and John Prescott.