The first successful trial of facial recognition technology, which could support iris and fingerprint scanning, has been completed in a live airport environment.

The purpose of the trial was to determine whether individuals could be identified at a range of several metres without them knowing.

The ability to identify people using a live CCTV feed is vital according to trial operator LogicaCMG. Manual methods are slow and prone to error, it says.

A number of volunteers were photographed and enrolled on to a database along with a further 1,000 images to ascertain if the system would make any false identifications.

Volunteers then mingled with regular passengers, walking through each location as an algorithm applied an identification score according to characteristics of a suspect list.

The trial had a success rate above 85 per cent, even when people were disguised with facial hair and glasses, says LogicaCMG director of global identity solutions Tim Best.

‘Using biometric technology, such as fingerprinting or iris recognition, to verify someone’s identity has been possible for some time,’ he said.

‘The actual identification of a person is significantly harder which is why it has had to be done manually for so long. The advantages of being able to identify non-compliant people from a distance are clear for the border control industry.’

Heathrow Airport is already trialling a number of biometric technologies to strengthen security and simplify passengers’ journeys through the airport, including fingerprint registration and iris recognition.

And a trial of biometric technology that identifies people by the way they walk is being held at Southampton University.

Airport operator BAA says it is interested in emerging biometric technologies provided they are 100 per cent accurate and do not inconvenience passengers.

The trial of facial recognition technology could also be used in other areas, such as reducing hooliganism at sporting events or persistent shop-lifting in retail outlets.