Privacy row erupts over Birmingham Airport scanners

Mar 25 2010 by Nick McCarthy, Birmingham Mail

A NEW privacy row has broken out over controversial full body scanners – due to be installed at Birmingham Airport – after a worker at Heathrow was quizzed by police for ogling a woman colleague.

The machines, due to be turned on in Birmingham after Easter, produce “nude” images of airline passengers in a bid to detect hidden weapons or explosives in the fight against terror.

But the debate over whether they infringed passengers’ civil liberties took a fresh twist as it emerged a security worker at Heathrow, where the scanners are already in place, allegedly used the kit to ogle a female colleague.

The security man was said to have received a formal warning for harassment after allegedly sneaking a look at her body and making a lewd comment.

Human rights watchdog the Equality and Human Rights Commission warned the equipment may breach passengers’ rights to privacy.