Naked body scanners in British airports?

London, May 4 (IANS) Controversial "naked" body scanners could be introduced at all British airports after top scientists declared them safe, Daily Mail reported Friday.

Manchester Airport has been trialling the device - known as back scatter scanner - since 2009, but the European Commission halted new trials last year amid concerns there was a risk to passengers' health from high levels of radiation.

But an EU study has decided that the risk from the scanners, which use X-rays to scan through clothing to produce images of passengers, is "close to zero" and no greater than other factors.

The European Commission is now expected to approve the technology and the scanners could be rolled out to British and European airports.

Extensive tests by the UK Health Protection Agency and US health authorities had already confirmed the scanners pose a negligible risk to human health.