Parents to be fingerprinted by nursery schools

A chain of nurseries is to require parents to use fingerprint scanners before collecting their children, it has been revealed.

Fifty nurseries run by kidsunlimited, a national group catering for children aged three months to five years, will introduce the technology over the next few months.

Six, including those in Cambridgeshire, Wilmslow in Cheshire and Notting Hill, West London, already operate the system. At least 100 other private or voluntary nurseries are already thought to be using scanners.

Critics have condemned the increase in surveillance society.

The Government has issued guidance telling head teachers they have the right to collect pupils' biometric data for 'security' reasons.

Parents, carers or guardians will be required to register a fingerprint in advance and then swipe a scanner on entering and leaving the nursery.

Quite how kidsunlimited intend to resolve the situation of a parent who refuses to participate is unclear.

Dan Norris, Labour MP for Wansdyke and a prominent child welfare campaigner, said: "My instinct is that is some what of an overreaction. It strikes me quite a strong reaction to a problem that could be managed in a less confrontational way. Fingerprinting is quite a big deal."