Heathrow and Manchester introduce body scanners

The UK government has directed Manchester and Heathrow airports to start using body scanners on passengers as of today (February 1).

Passengers travelling through the Terminal 2 at Manchester and Terminal 4 at Heathrow may be body scanned as part of the airport's normal security procedures.

Manchester plans to introduce additional scanners in Terminal 1 and 3 by the end of this month.

The government's new security rules mean it is mandatory for any passengers who are selected for a scan to participate. Any refusal will result in the passenger not being allowed to travel.

Travellers can be chosen at random, if they fail part of the security process, or if they request a private search.

Sarah Barrett , Manchester Airport's head of customer experience, said: "We understand that compulsory body scanning is a big change for customers...  We know privacy concerns have been on our customers' minds which is why we have put strict procedures to reassure them that their privacy will be protected."

The image generated by the body scanner cannot be stored or captured, said Barrett, "nor can security officers viewing the images recognise people".

Manchester has been trialling the technology since October 2009, but under 18s were not allowed to take part. As part of the new rules, minors will now not be exempt.

www.manchesterairport.co.uk