Child protection experts warn against new airport body scanner

Manchester Airport has been warned that it must not allow under 18s to use a new strip search scanner which will be installed at Terminal 2 within the next couple of weeks.

Child protection experts say the x-ray machine operators will be breaking the law if they scan under 18s as the new machine produces naked images of the passenger.

Although the operators are cited in a remote location and will not be able to identify passengers from the images on the screen, Action on Rights for Children says they risk prosecution for creating 'indecent images' of juveniles.

The x-ray scanner, which has already been tested at Heathrow Airport and is in use at several airports in the United States, can reveal weapons or explosives hidden under clothing.

But the fact that the machine also produces blurred images of intimate parts of the body has caused concern for children's rights campaigners.

Manchester Airport had planned to allow children to use x-ray machines in a trial starting after the half-term break, as long as they had parents' permission.

The new scanner produces only a very low level of radiation and does not therefore pose any health risks to passengers.

However, following the warning from internet group Action on Right for Children, the airport has decided not to scan under-18s during the initial trial. In the meantime it is seeking legal clarification.

Children and other passengers who do not wish to go through the x-ray scanner can opt for a traditional 'pat down' or hand search instead.

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