Brits want airport biometrics, says poll

Seven in ten Britons believe that the UK should follow the example set in other European countries and roll out fingerprinting and iris-scanning across all airports, a poll has revealed.

In the USA, all new arrivals are required to have their fingerprints taken, while iris-scanning is employed to help passengers get through security more quickly at Schipol Airport in the Netherlands - practices that many Britons want in the UK, the survey by life assistance firm CPP found.

The study also discovered that 80 per cent of respondents would prefer to use fingerprinting instead of chip and pin when banking and making payments if it meant their personal details would be more secure.

"People are clearly aware of the need to tackle issues such as fraud and terrorism in the UK and, in principle, are behind biometrics or something that will solve these modern problems," commented Danny Harrison, a spokesman for CPP Identity Protection.

A trial to test the use of biometric technologies at Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport took place over December 2006 and January 2007.

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