Councils across England and Wales have been left with a £100m bill because they are for caring for sick and destitute migrants left unsupported by the state.

{mosimage}The home secretary, John Reid, is facing demands from more than 100 councils who blame “chaotic” government immigration procedures for leaving them to support migrants assessed as having “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF). These include thousands of failed asylum seekers, migrants sponsored to enter the UK, some overseas students and others in ill health, including many who have HIV.

Twenty-four hours after Mr Reid announced another crackdown on illegal immigrants – tightening the system to deny them benefits and urging them to leave by sending them text messages – it emerged that his officials have no idea how many have NRPF. Voluntary agencies estimate that the figure runs into tens of thousands and accuse the Home Office of parading a tough line on rejecting asylum claims while failing to mention this “statistically invisible” group.

A Royal Navy junior rating who claims she was raped by a senior colleague regained her memory of the incident after undergoing a controversial psychotherapy technique, a court martial heard yesterday.

NHS spending on drugs to treat child hyperactivity has tripled in only five years. Almost 400,000 aged between five and 19 are believed to be on the drugs despite doctors’ fears about side effects.

Illegal drugs can be “harmless” and should no longer be “demonised”, a wide-ranging two-year study has concluded. The report says Britain’s drug laws are “not fit for purpose” and should be torn up in favour of a system which recognises that drinking and smoking can cause more harm.

Women are being sold into prostitution in modern day “slave auctions” at Britain’s airports, it emerged yesterday. The illegal immigrants are sold to the highest bidder for up to £8,000 a time. They are then forced to work in brothels where they can earn up to £800 a day for their “owner”.