Heated protest over ID plans

4:52pm Wednesday 23rd January 2008

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A pressure group is set to stage a heated' protest against the opening of a new identity interview centre in Oxford.

The No2ID campaign group is holding a 'barbecue for the grilling centre' protest near the centre - where anyone applying for a first-time passport will have to go through a half-hour face-to-face interview to prove their identity.

The group believes the process is intrusive and a first step towards a biometric ID card system.

Vale of White Horse district councillor for Wantage, Bill Melotti, said: "The Government says it is committed to biometric ID cards and says it will be rolled out on a voluntary basis as people renew their passports.

"But there are people that really value their privacy and don't want to be involved in schemes like this."

Mr Melotti, a No2ID committee member, added: "This could be a gentle introduction, but it is representative of what's going to happen. This is the place where you and I and everyone in Oxfordshire will have to come to be fingerprinted eventually.

"I think it is just a symbol of this Government and how they want to control everything."

No2ID Oxford chairman Chris Rimmer said: "We hope by holding this event, the people of Oxfordshire will realise what is happening right on their doorsteps."

The new office, at Begbroke House, in North Hinksey Lane, Botley, has six staff, who the Home Office says will handle about 2,750 interviews this year.

A spokesman for the Identity and Passport Service said: "Given the pressing need to protect the security of the British passport, I think passport customers might find this protest a little bizarre.

"We face the challenge of fighting the ever-increasing threat of fraud at the same time as trying not to inconvenience our customers too much.

"That's precisely why we have opened this network of offices, including the office in Oxford, so that people will not have to travel too far when applying for their first passport.

"Nearly 30,000 interviews have now taken place across the country, and the reaction has been extremely positive."

• The No2ID demonstration will be outside the Botley McDonald's restaurant, close to the new centre, from 1pm on Sunday.