The Government has been accused of using young people in Kingston as guinea pigs after it rolled out national identity cards to Londoners aged 16 to 24 on Monday.

The cards cost £30 and are available to people with a valid or recently expired passport. Ministers claimed they would help young people prove their age, and were less likely to get lost than passports.

Charlotte Turner, Kingston co-ordinator for the anti-ID campaign NO2ID, joined a protest against the scheme in Victoria on Monday, and pledged to bring the campaign back to Kingston.

The 21-year-old social work student at Kingston University said: “I really do urge young people to think twice before applying for an ID card because once you have given your details they are there for life. It is unnecessarily intrusive and infringes your right to privacy.

“If young people need a proof of ID there are plenty of other ways to get a proof of age card.

“Maybe because young people are not so politically aware they are being used as guinea pigs. This is really going to get us in the streets and the university letting people know about this. You can expect a lot more activity from us in the weeks ahead.”

Tessa Tyler Todd, 17, Kingston member of the youth parliament, said she would not apply for the card, but thought other young people would see potential benefits.

She said: “I think the fact they can use it as ID at the cinema is a really positive thing because if you are in year 11 you cannot get a citizen card. On the other hand, I am not sure the other risks could occur to other people.”

Meg Hillier, the Home Office minister responsible for ID cards, said: “The national identity card will prove an extremely useful tool for young people in London, whether they are opening a bank account, buying age-restricted goods such as computer games of DVDs, entering a nightclub or travelling to Europe.”

What do you think? Use the form below to let us know...