Biometric testing of face, eye and fingerprints could soon be used on every resident of the UK to create compulsory identity cards. BBC News Online's Tom Geoghegan volunteered for a pilot scheme and looked, unblinking, into the future.

What was interesting about article that it is obvious that Home Office is trying to make the process as 'palatable' to people, so it is not too Big Brotherish...

This isn't a test of the technology - that's likely to change in the future as things move on - it's the process. We're looking for customer reactions and perceptions, and any particular difficulties.

Just don't make it feel like Big Brother although that's what you'll be getting.