Theresa May will order a crackdown on the "abuse" of human rights laws that is stopping foreign criminals being deported, it was reported on Sunday.

The Home Secretary will put in place tougher immigration rules by the summer, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

She has pledged to stop all but the most "exceptional cases" succeeding on appeal after becoming convinced that tougher controls were needed to prevent criminals using the "right to a family life" - under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights - to stay in Britain.

"It's been causing a lot of concern, not just to the government but also to an awful lot of members of the public," she told the newspaper.

"By the summer we will have in place new immigration rules which I believe will end that abuse."

The most high-profile case involves the firebrand Jordanian muslim cleric Abu Qatada, who is currently on strict bail conditions following his release earlier this year.

But those bail conditions expire in less than two months, and Labour claim that the system of TPIMs - which the government has introduced to replace control orders - could lead to Qatada being free to walk the streets of London during the Olympics.

The government is currently in negotiations with Jordan to secure Qatada's deportation, but Labour believe these attempts will come too late to prevent Qatada's terms of release being relaxed.

Mrs May will direct judges rather than introducing fresh legislation but concedes the move may be challenged, it was reported.

She said: "If it doesn't, if it's tested in the courts and we find there's a problem, we'll obviously look at other measures but I'm confident in what we're proposing to do."

Mrs May has come in for criticism over the last week following moves to legislate for real-time surveillance of all email, text, website and phone call traffic.

Civil liberties groups condemned the move as a "snoopers charter" and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg indicated he would curb the plans.

Mrs May said: "I would hope that we will be able to do this in a Bill. I would expect us to be able to so this in a Bill in the next session. but in a way that enables people to have a sight of the clauses."