Today we can finally reveal the identity of a career criminal who has now been deported back to Latvia.

Previously, on legal advice, we were unable to name Rolands Marcinkevics, of Chevallier Street, Ipswich, despite a string of convictions in his homeland and Sweden as police and the Home Office would not confirm them due to data protection issues.

In January Marcinkevics was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 60 hours’ unpaid work after admitting shoplifting two bottles of Beyonce perfume worth £78 from Boots in Tavern Street, Ipswich, on January 3.

The serial offender amassed 14 convictions for 27 offences – including 18 thefts – after coming to England just over three years ago.

Marcinkevics had only been released from prison last summer following a 48-week jail sentence in September 2013 for shoplifting and failing to surrender to custody.

He previously had a criminal record abroad spanning 14 years for theft, robbery and drug offences.

His more serious convictions before entering the UK ended in jail terms yet he still was able to come to Britain under EU laws without the authorities being aware of his criminal history.

Red tape involving protocols left the British authorities unable to even confirm his previous convictions leading to Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore calling for an urgent review of cases such as that of Marcinkevics.

The 32-year-old, formerly of Sirdar Road, Ipswich, was due to re-appear before Ipswich magistrates charged with failing to comply with the requirements of his community order.

Following the hearing it emerged he had been deported two weeks after his failure to attend an appointment with the Probation Service on February 4.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We can confirm Rolands Marcinkevics has been deported. He was deported on February 19.

“We are unable to give the specific reasons for his deportation.

“We firmly believe that foreign nationals who commit crimes in the UK should be deported.

“Last year, we removed more than 5,000 foreign criminals, and this Government has removed more than 22,000 since 2010.

“New powers in the Immigration Act which we introduced have also cut the number of grounds on which criminals can appeal deportation in the courts, speeding up removals so that more are deported before the end of their sentences.”

Before coming to the UK Marcinkevics already had an unenviable criminal record which began at Riga District Court in Latvia in 1996 for an offence of theft.

He racked up further convictions at the same court in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010. Marcinkevics also appeared before Stockholm District Court for an offence of theft in 2008.

Over the past three years The Ipswich Star and EADT have reported on a number of cases involving criminals from other countries coming to England without the authorities being aware of their offending histories.

East of England MEP Vicky Ford and Ipswich MP Ben Gummer have been trying to get measures put in place for information-sharing between authorities across Europe to enable the tracking of criminals crossing borders.