SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies has defied fierce pressure from Number 10 to oppose the European Arrest Warrant – but the planned vote descended into shambles.

Mr Davies vowed to join a Tory backbench revolt against the measure, warning it would drag Britain into a EU-wide justice system and harm justice.

But the controversy descended into farce, after a furious Speaker accused the Government of dodging a vote - despite a promise by David Cameron to let MPs have their say.

MPs later voted on 11 other EU justice and security measures, but Home Secretary Theresa May said there would be no separate vote on the arrest warrant.

In a rowdy Commons yesterday, Speaker Bercow said: “This has been a rather sorry saga….a commitment made is a commitment that should be honoured.”

Ministers argued Britain risked becoming a “safe haven” for criminals unless the police retained the power to extradite suspects quickly between EU states.

Supporters point to cases such as the successful arrest of Briton Jeremy Forrest in France - a teacher who was subsequently jailed for abducting a schoolgirl he ran away with.

Before the vote, Miss May said the warrant “helps us to tackle cross-border crimes, deport foreign criminals, track down those who seek to evade the law, and bring them to justice.”

But Mr Davies said: “The Home Secretary says she really cares about crime, but we let people into this country from the EU willy-nilly without any border controls.

“There are no exit checks on people leaving, the e-borders programme still isn’t up and running and she has taken names off the DNA database.

“She would be much better employed dealing with these issues than on signing up to a European Arrest Warrant”

Mr Davies also raised the alarm over Britain being dragged into an EU-wide criminal justice system - allowing the European Public Prosecutor Office to initiate an arrest warrant.

He said: “The best legal advice is that opting back into the arrest warrant will make our opposition to a European Public Prosecutor’s Office worthless.

“We are then into a common EU justice system, which will drive a coach and horses through our centuries old system of Habeas Corpus – a system which is not commonly shared by other countries in the EU.”

The Government opted out of 133 EU police and criminal justice measures in 2013, a decision to take effect on December 1.

Last night it won overwhelming backing for opting into a package of EU measures but not without battling hours of Commons wrangling and bitter rows over the controversial warrant.

Debate on the Government motion - a draft of the Criminal Justice and Data Protection (Protocol No 36) Regulation - was halted after shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper sensationally moved the "question now be not put".

The procedural device called a halt to debate and was aimed at postponing debate to another day, with Ms Cooper demanding Home Secretary Theresa May come back to the Commons tomorrow for a vote covering the full package of measures, including specifically the European Arrest Warrant (EAW).

Ms Cooper's move failed but was still enough to curtail debate by forcing the main vote to take place almost two hours early, despite filibustering from Tory MPs.

The highly unorthodox scenes were a final act to a dramatic series of major rows in the Commons chamber.

The clashes blew up with little warning after it emerged the Government's motion referred only to 11 of 35 measures which the Government planned to opt into, with the EAW not included in the group being voted upon.

Mrs May insisted the Government regarded the vote as the Commons verdict on the whole package, despite Speaker John Bercow ruling the EAW was not the subject of the day's debate or vote.

Prime Minister David Cameron returned early from the Lord Mayor's Banquet to take part in the divisions, which had been due at 10pm, as did Chancellor George Osborne and other MPs.

Labour's motion was defeated 272 to 229, majority 43, before the Government, with Labour support, saw its original motion carried by 464 to 38, majority 426.

There were 25 Tory backers for Ms Cooper's motion, while there were 37 Conservative rebels in the main division, plus a Tory teller.

Mrs May accused the Labour spokeswoman of "playing politics" with the issue in response to Ms Cooper's motion.

Ms Cooper earlier said the Home Secretary had presided over a "shambles" after hours of Parliamentary wrangling.

And moving her unusual Commons motion, she said: "You have effectively said ministers are just going to make it up because the Speaker has been very clear that this does not include a vote on the EAW, you are just going to reinterpret it in any way you choose.

"That is an irresponsible way to treat the House. If you brought this back tomorrow with all 35 measures in we will support it.