Home Secretary David Blunkett's ominous words of last week came true when Tony Blair became an anti-immigration vigilante vowing "further measures" and actions against asylum seekers' basic human rights.

The Prime Minister signalled his clear unhappiness with being unable to leave asylum seekers to be beaten, maimed or electrocuted by third parties when he said "the problem with removing people is that you cannot remove someone to a country where they might be subject to torture". Whitehall sources said there was "no idealogical bar" to ignoring immigrants' welfare under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Mr Blunkett is expected to take tough measures against anyone taking the law into their own hands. Mr Blair may face detention without trial, an instrument that has proven favourable with the Home Secretary for many undesirables.