In brief: ID cards gain European support

NEWS Personal identity cards have gained credibility in Europe over the last two years, according to a Mori poll. The survey of 1,000 Europeans showed that 54 per cent of people welcomed the idea as opposed to 44 per cent two years ago, while 77 per cent of respondents claimed ID cards would help control crime, in particular football hooliganism. Alan Gibson, director at ICL, claimed the system is a "deterrent and a valuable tool" in crime prevention.