A timeline of the events leading to the resignation of immigration minister Beverley Hughes.

March 4, 2003 - Junior minister Bob Ainsworth writes to Hughes warning of immigration abuse in Romania.

March 7, 2004 - Steve Moxon, an official at the Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate [IMD] in Sheffield, reports that checks had been waived on immigrants from eastern Europe.

March 8, 2004 - Immigration minister Beverley Hughes admits in the Commons that checks were waived, but without her knowledge or approval, or that of her senior officials in the Home Office.

The move was not to prevent a surge in applications after the 10 new EU member states are admitted, but to clear a backlog, she says. Shadow home secretary David Davis calls on her to resign.

March 9, 2004 - Ken Sutton is named as the official to lead an in-house inquiry into Moxon's claims. Giving evidence to the home affairs select committee, Hughes insists ministers knew nothing of events at the Sheffield office.

March 11, 2004 - Hughes appears on BBC Question Time, insisting that she will not quit as immigration minister.

March 15, 2004 - The Sunday Times publishes leaked memos revealing that Hughes sanctioned the fast-tracking of passport applications.

March 16, 2004 - Downing Street gives Hughes its full backing, after the media reports.

March 25, 2004 - Ken Sutton publishes his report.  Ministers are cleared of manipulating immigration figures, but the inquiry highlights deficiencies in the IND.  Hughes blames managers in her department for an "excess of zeal" in waiving checks.  She insists that an "urgent overhaul" of immigration management issues was underway and that staff involved in the scheme are being disciplined.

March 29, 2004 - Amid repeated calls from the Conservatives for Hughes to resign, home secretary David Blunkett insists that she will remain in post, despite a battle with "right wing" newspapers.  However, his comments come as the British consul in Bucharest is suspended for writing to David Davis, expressing his concerns at immigrants from non-accession countries being allowed into the UK without checks.

March 30, 2004 - In an opposition debate in the Commons on asylum and immigration, Beverley Hughes insists that she will not resign. "I am not resigning. I am not incompetent, nor did I lie," she tells MPs.

April 1, 2004 - Beverley Hughes resigns, two hours ahead of the prime minister's monthly press conference.  Downing Street says she resigned after misleading parliament on the issue, "albeit unwittingly".