The European parliament has slammed the UK for a wide range of human rights abuses, including a backward prison system, the erosion of civil liberties after September 11 and press censorship.

In its annual report on the state of human rights in the European Union, the parliament said there had been incidents of "police killings or death in police custody", as well as cases involving excessive use of force.

The report also said Downing Street had eroded the "freedom of the press" by telling journalists to refrain from reporting on military operations in Afghanistan.