Britons largely in favour of biometric security

The poll of 3,000 people for life assistance firm CPP found support for biometrics, with nearly a third backing the move simply because they struggled to remember all their PIN numbers and passwords.

However, half of those surveyed said introducing biometrics on bank cards would restrict modern life. A quarter said they believed fingerprinting treated people like "presumed criminals". Just under half were also concerned about hygiene when scanning eyeballs or fingerprints.

CPP spokesman Stephen Mouncey said: "People are clearly aware of the need to tackle issues such as fraud and terrorism in the UK, and in principle, are behind biometrics or something that will solve these modern problems.

"There are, however, concerns around how biometrics will work in the real world and some fundamental questions that need answering around issues of privacy, data protection, hygiene and cost."