Kids spared from nude X-rays at Manchester airport - Airport Hotels,Travel Airport News

Airport news for Airport Hotels,Travel on 19/10/2009.

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Last week, Manchester Airport revealed that they were testing a new X-ray system, which takes X-rays of passengers in order to reveal hidden weapons and explosives that may be missed in a traditional pat down search. The images reveal the exact shape of passengers’ bodies through their clothing. However, despite the initial fears of some people, a spokesman for Manchester Airport had announced that many of their passengers actually preferred the new system.

However, the backlash against the new system has already started as it has been suggested that taking these pictures of children is in violation of the 1978 Protection of Children Act, which criminalizes the creation of nude or pseudo-nude photos of children.

In a recent press statement a Manchester Airport spokesman confirmed that all airport staff had been told not to let children be scanned by the new equipment. He said added that: “Our lawyers and child welfare groups have warned us this is a legal grey area. We do not want to open ourselves or our staff to the possibility of legal action, so we have decided children will not be subjected to these scans and will continue to face normal security checks.”

The good news for other passengers is that the new X-ray system is not compulsory and everyone has the right to request a pat down search instead.

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