London, Nov.24 : Illegal immigrants wrongly cleared to be security guards are still in their jobs.

According to The Sun, they were found working with the Metropolitan Police or guarding landmark Whitehall buildings because no proper checks were made on their background.

An Algerian, using a fake French passport, was hired to look after PM Gordon Brown's limo.

But ministers have admitted hardly any of the 5,000 so far identified have been struck off the security industry's register.

Figures yesterday show only 700 licenses have been withdrawn in the past three years.

It raises fears that many are still in sensitive posts - ten days after the Government vowed to close the loophole.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, whose department was alerted to the problem eight months ago, pledged to change vetting rules and revoke clearance given to the workers by the Security Industry Authority.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "It adds insult to injury that so little action has been taken. Either the Home Office can't find these people or it has stopped being a priority." (ANI)