US to hold Britons' fingerprints

Man is fingerprinted at a US airport

- Search: Airport fingerprinting
- Search: The FBI

Civil rights campaigners have pledged to fight US plans to keep the fingerprints of British tourists on a criminal database.

British and EU visitors will be forced to have all 10 fingers scanned as they enter the country, according to The Observer.

This information would then be shared with intelligence agencies, including the FBI.

Critics say the scheme will turn law-abiding citizens into terror suspects.

Britons visiting the US already have their credit card and email accounts inspected by American authorities following a deal struck between the European Union and the US Department of Homeland Security last autumn.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of the civil rights group Liberty said: "The UK has pioneered the flawed notion that the more intrusive and unwieldy the database of innocent people - the safer the country.

"As if it didn't have enough of its own problems, the US government now appears to be following suit.''

The Foreign Office confirmed the fingerprinting scheme was being put in place.

A spokesman said: "This is really a matter for the US authorities. Obviously as with any country there should be discussions as to how this should progress.

"This appears to still be in the planning stage and we cannot comment further until we have had the chance to discuss this with our US counterparts.''

US Airport scanners currently take two finger prints from travellers.

The move to 10 prints is due to be introduced in the summer. The changes will make it possible for this information to be compatible with the FBI database.

Critics warn errors in inputting finger printing data could leave some travellers victims of false match.

Travellers were also expected to face increased delays and queuing as a result of the scheme.

But the Department of Homeland Security insisted the intrusive new rules would not deter travellers from visiting the US.

A spokeswoman said: "That was what people said when we introduced the two-digit system, but that has not happened.''

The civil rights movement have accused the US and EU authorities of using terrorism as an excuse to introduce intrusive surveillance schemes.