Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Manchester Gorton has hit out at the use of body scanners at airport.

Qassim Afzal said: "Causing passengers to miss flights and lose the cost of their fares is Big Brother or jobsworth gone mad. “The scanners clearly can be important in terms of tighter security but it cannot be beyond us to develop an attitude that also acknowledges the personal beliefs and concerns of some passengers. They are not asking to be exempted from security checks just this particularly intrusive procedure.

“What we urgently need is reason. I can’t see why those who object to being scanned cannot simply be returned to the other queue of passengers being physically checked by appropriate-sex officers.

“Their place in the scanner line could quickly be taken up by others happy to be scanned. That would maintain security without hampering the flow of passengers or offending sensitivities.”

The row developed after two women refused to go through the body-scanning equipment at Manchester Airport and were not allowed to board their pre-booked flight Both women had been selected at random, it was reported.

"The woman forfeited her ticket as did her companion, who had said she would not go through the scanners because she had a health problem.

Privacy campaigners say the technology, designed to reveal concealed liquids, explosives or weapons violates European law by producing sexually explicit images of the passengers. Reports indicate that Airport screeners will have access to huge high definition images that, once inverted, will allow them to see every minute detail of your body.

TV viewers have been misled by blurring of faces and genitals of people in the images.

Qassim Afzal has launched a petition due to the concern raised by passengers registering their concerns and objections, calling on the government for an alternative and effective method, to support our passenger security with dignity at airports in relation to the growing controversy.