THE legal aid bill for asylum seekers last year was enough to pay for 11,500 nurses, it emerged last night.

British taxpayers forked out a record £174MILLION to fund thousands of cases dragging through the courts.

Bogus refugees mounting drawn-out appeals and hiring whole teams of solicitors have more than doubled the bill in just two years.

And officials are demanding urgent action to stop costs spiralling right out of control.

The widespread abuse and waste is exposed in a report drawn up by law chiefs at the Lord Chancellor’s Department.

Last year 85,865 asylum claims were lodged in Britain yet there were 158,000 legal cases, almost twice as many.

The cost of legal advice for immigrants and asylum seekers shot up from £81.3million in 2000-01 to £174.2million in 2002-03.

That would be enough to pay the wages of 11,500 NURSES or 6,000 new DOCTORS for a year.

It would also cover 17,500 HEART OPS, 35,000 HIP REPLACEMENTS or building two HOSPITALS.

And it is enough to put 10,000 BOBBIES on the beat, build 35 SECONDARY SCHOOLS or equip the Army with 35 new Challenger TANKS.

Taxpayers are also being ripped off by greedy lawyers putting in over-inflated claims and letting appeals drag on for months or years.

Referring to solicitors and specialist firms representing asylum seekers, the department warns in its report: “We continue to have concerns regarding the quality of the work undertaken by a significant minority of immigration suppliers.

“There is evidence of duplication of work — clients shopping around for advice, and suppliers continuing to pursue unmeritorious cases through public funding.”

Ministers are being urged to impose strict limits to halt abuse of legal aid, such as a ceiling of five hours on first-time advice.

It also wants maximum fees for legal appeals, interpreters’ costs and representation in court.

Last night shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin said: “Crazy sums of money are being thrown at an asylum system that is completely broken.”