A COUNCIL is being urged to oppose controversial plans by the Government to introduce an ID card for everyone.

Durham City Council will vote tomorrow whether to affiliate with the No2ID campaign that includes MPs, Peers, other councils and some political parties, and to register its opposition with the Government.

The Government says the ID card, which would carry biometric data and be linked to several computer networks that carry personal information, is needed to thwart terrorism and fraud.

Councillor Carol Woods, a member of the Liberal Democrat-controlled council's cabinet, said: "It wouldn't solve the problems of terrorism. It is mainly an infringement of our civil liberties.''

She said the estimated cost of introducing the system was about £5.8bn, but there were fears that, as with some other Government computerisation projects, the costs could end up being much more.

As well as the cost to taxpayers, everybody would have to pay to have a card and she cited a possible cost of £30.

"I think we would be better spending the money that would be spent on ID cards on crime prevention and the police,'' she said.