Construction workers get bio checks

06/03/2008

Construction workers at the Olympics site will be screened using new biometric scanners, the Times has reported.

The new security precaution will affect up to 100,000 workers and it includes face recognition and palm-print reading.

Tarique Ghaffur, the Metropolitan police assistant commissioner, announced the plans at a security conference in Abu Dhabi and told delegate the Games will be policed by 500,000 CCTV cameras.

Experts are divided on the use of biometrics. Criminologist, Professor Clive Norris told the paper he wasn't sure "how useful they would be in an Olympics", while Mike Fairhurst, a biometrics expert said the techniques were already being used successfully.

"If it's implemented in the right way, multi-modal biometrics are more reliable because it's more of a challenge for people trying to defeat the system," he said.

The UK Borders Bill 2007 has set out a legislative framework for the introduction of biometric ID cards, but is yet to become law.

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