The police are developing a national database of
mugshots that can be matched withCCTVimages to enable police to easily
pick out potential offenders.
The system is being developed as part of a pilot scheme
involving the forces in Lancashire, West Yorkshire and
Merseyside.
The pilots have already generated a database of more than
750,000 facial images over the past 18 months.
Peter Neyroud, chief executive of the National Police
Improvement Agency, told a parliamentary home affairs committee the
database was being used to aid neighbourhood policing.
The parliamentary committee is considering whether the
UK is becoming a surveillance society.
