The number of robberies involving firearms jumped 10% last year, including a 9% rise in street robberies at gunpoint, official figures have revealed.

Home Office statistics also showed a 46% leap in residential robberies involving a firearm in 2005/06.

Criminals used guns in a record 645 cases of residential robbery in England and Wales - up 204 on the previous year and four times the level recorded in 2000/01.

The number of street robberies at gunpoint increased from 1,311 in 2004/05 to 1,439 last year.

The overall number of gun robberies - including those which took place outdoors or targeted shops, garages, post offices, banks and homes - was 4,120 compared with 3,674 in the previous 12 months.

Handguns were the most commonly used firearm in robberies, reported in 2,888 cases.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said: "This shows Labour is losing control of gun crime across the board, whether it be on the street or in innocent people's homes.

"Gun crime is mainly fuelled by gang warfare and drug addiction, which is a consequence of Labour's failing drugs policy.

"It is exacerbated by our porous borders which allow illegal weapons to flow into the country."