Children will not be asked to go through the new 'X-ray' scanner at Manchester Airport
Children will be not be subjected to a X-ray body scanner which produces "naked" images of flight passengers, airport officials have said.
Bosses at Manchester Airport had a rethink on allowing under-18s to undergo the check after child protection experts warned that their security workers risked breaking the law by creating indecent images of juveniles.
The scanner being trialled at the airport's Terminal 2 shows up a clear outline of passengers' private parts and also displays breast enlargements, piercings and false limbs.
Concerned travellers can opt out of the virtual strip search but the airport planned to let children take part if their parents gave consent.
Civil rights group Action on Rights for Children (Arch) contacted them this week though to point out the legal issue of security workers creating and examining indecent images of children.
A Manchester Airport spokeswoman said: "We certainly aren't going to break any laws in the process of trying to improve the experience of security at Manchester Airport with a voluntary trial.
"Experts in child protection have told us that this is a grey area. On this basis, if these experts tell us that there might be a problem then we'll work with them to establish a definitive position.
"In the meantime no under 18s will participate in the trial when adult passengers start being invited to take part in a couple of weeks."Â
Arch national director Terri Dowty said: "It's not right to put the machine operators in the position where they are being asked to break the law. This is not about whether we think the scanner is a good idea or a bad idea. It's just not lawful and falls under the terms of strict liability. Under present legislation the taking of images of children in this way cannot be done."
The 12-month trial of the RapiScan machine which enables staff to spot any hidden explosives or weapons is due to begin early next month. Electromagnetic waves are beamed on to passengers while they stand in a booth and a virtual three-dimensional "naked" image is created from the reflected energy.
