The question of regulating EU nationals with criminal records has been raised following the conviction of Marek Harcar for the murder of Glasgow businesswoman Moira Jones.

Bill Aitken, the Conservative spokesperson on justice, said: "The present government has committed five billion pounds to a scheme for identity cards which is completely and totally unworkable. The electronic endorsation of passports is workable and at an absolute fraction of the cost. There is no reason at all as to why this cannot be imposed. It is not a big brother solution. It will simply safeguard UK citizens."

Harcar was allowed in the UK despite having 13 convictions, including four for violence, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Ten days after he arrived in Glasgow, he murdered Ms Jones in Glasgow's Queen's Park. The conviction of Harcar comes only a month after head on the beach killer Vitas Plytnykas was jailed along with fellow Lithuanian Aleksandras Skirda for the murder of Jolanta Bledaite.

The two men murdered Ms Bledaite for her savings before dumping her body in a suitcase in the sea. Her remains later washed up on an Arbroath beach and were found by two young girls.

It emerged following the conviction of Plytnykas that he had spent seven years and six months in jail for killing a man in Germany in a knife attack.

Despite this, he arrived in the UK and went on to murder Ms Bledaite. Due to European Union rules surrounding the freedom of movement, there is no barrier for entry - even for sex offenders.

Aamer Anwar, a criminal defence lawyer, commented: "People may be surprised to know it is quite often upon the sex offender himself to self-regulate and advise the local police force that he has arrived in the country or for his own police service to tell them.

"The problem that you have with the new EU countries such as Bulgaria, Slovakia is that quite often there own police services are not organised, not computerised and they will not pass on this information to countries like the United Kingdom."

Meanwhile, Harcar has maintained his innocence following his conviction. He said: "I hope they catch the right man" as he was led to his cell.