Home Office delays in vetting people applying for sensitive jobs such as supply teaching have caused a backlog of 30,000 applications.

The situation at the Criminal Records Bureau is so serious that plans are afoot to send some files thousands of miles to India for processing.

Meanwhile thousands of supply teachers are being prevented from easing a national shortage in classrooms.

On Wednesday BBC News Online reported that the government has reverted to its old system of vetting because of these delays in England and Wales.

We are putting considerable effort ...into clearing the backlog

Home Office spokesman

Then, a Home Office spokesman had said the bureau should reach its targets in another six to eight weeks.

A third (10,000) of all those waiting for confirmation that they do not have a criminal record, are supply teachers badly needed in schools across the country.

Other professions fearing a growing shortage of supply staff, include hospitals and care homes which also have to vet all employees.

Compensation

The bureau - which finally began work on 11 March - had promised to respond to 90% of inquiries within three weeks.

But the agencies say the response time is more like six to eight weeks.

Now there are predictions that those being kept waiting and unable to work will file compensation claims against the bureau, run by private information company Capita.

Keith Bradley, home office minister with responsibility for the bureau, confirmed the CRB would consider any claims for loss of earnings caused by the delays.

Unsuitable

Capita also operated the Individual Learning Accounts system for the Department for Education, which collapsed amid widespread fraud by rogue training providers.

Three years ago, it was also at the centre of a crisis involving the Passport Agency's failure to issue thousands of passports to Britons wanting to travel abroad.

A Home Office spokesman said: "We are putting considerable effort into bringing it fully up to speed and clear any backlog."

The system discloses current and spent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, as well as other relevant information held by local police forces.

It also checks lists held by the Department of Health and Department for Education of those considered unsuitable to work with children.

It was intended as a "one-stop shop" for England and Wales, replacing a system of local checks.