They have been caught shoplifting and drink-driving, been accused of robbery and human trafficking, and two notable "offenders" each owe £3m in congestion charge fines. But instead of facing the full weight of the law this privileged group have got off scot-free.

Foreign embassy staff been exempted from a range of serious charges that in normal cases would have carried a penalty of at least 12 months in prison, according to figures released in parliament today.

Five diplomats have escaped shoplifting charges since 2005, including an official from the Gambian embassy caught last year, a staffer at the Cameroonian embassy in 2008, and one member of each of the Egyptian, Equatorial Guinean and Zambian embassies accused in 2005.

But perhaps the single biggest offender – albeit on less serious allegations – is the US, which has run up £3,821,880 in unpaid fines incurred in a seven-year diplomatic stand-off over the congestion charge.

There are 25,000 embassy staff and their dependents in the UK covered by diplomatic immunity: over the past five years there were 78 exemptions from serious charges.

One member from each of the Brazilian, German, US and Russian embassies were caught drink-driving but released without charge this year.

Diplomats or their dependents from Saudi Arabia and one from Sierra Leone were alleged to have been involved in human trafficking, and one from Saudi Arabia was accused of sexual assault.

A member of the Pakistan embassy was accused of threatening to kill, and one from Cameroon accused of neglect of a young person.

I think I'm right in saying that we can't charge them, but we can eject them from the country.

A tad harsh, I think there Amnesia!

A three strikes rule would be a little fairer I think.

As a diplomat you represent your country. Your behaviour should exceed the local standards.

A tad harsh, I think there Amnesia!

A three strikes rule would be a little fairer I think.

£3,821,880 in unpaid fines
drink-driving
human trafficking
sexual assault
threatening to kill
neglect of a young person

Oh absolutely - I was talking about the parking and speeding fines in particular.

There's no question in my mind that the criminal offenses you listed certainly demand sending someone home, and even banning them from the UK all together.

I'm wondering why "diplomatic immunity" even exists in it's present form.

I can understand wanting to "play nice" with diplomats for the sake of international relations, but when a crime is a crime in both our country and theirs I can see no justification for letting them off.

Or maybe sexual assault is not a crime in Saudi Arabia? It wouldn't entirely surprise me. Some cultures do have a very different perspective with the regard to the value of women...