TECHNOLOGY designed to recognise faces failed to identify a third of the North-East people who took part in an ID card trial, the Government admitted yesterday.

The "facial verification" test did not work for 650 of the 1990 volunteers for the scheme at Newcastle registrar's office last year - a staggering 32.7 per cent.

Even the more reliable biometric tests only achieved success rates in Newcastle of 84.7 per cent for fingerprints and 95.9 per cent for iris scans.

The high failure rates - which reached 44 per cent for facial verification of disabled people - were revealed as ministers signalled the cost of an ID card would likely be £93, up from £88.

Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats immediately pledged to oppose the controversial Identity Cards Bill, which was published yesterday.

The measure also faces a rocky ride with Labour backbenchers, in what will be the first test of Tony Blair's ability to pass legislation with a much-shrunken majority.

But ministers insisted the trials had been held to test whether the public had reservations - not to test the technology.

Tony McNulty, a Home Office minister, insisted the technology had worked "reasonably well" and was confident any problems would be overcome.

But Shadow Home Secretary David Davis announced the Conservatives would vote against the little-changed Bill, because his concerns had not been addressed

Mark Oaten, the LibDem home affairs spokesman, said: "The Government is spending our money on a half-baked scheme, based on half-baked technology."

Newcastle registrar's office was one of six locations selected last year to test biometric data. There was a smaller trial at Longbenton

In a 15-minute trial, volunteers had their faces, irises and fingers scanned.

The Government has made clear it expects ID cards to become compulsory, but not before 2013.

But the scheme hit problems straight away, with adjustments to the testing booths and changes to the facial recognition camera forcing delays.

The trials showed the iris scan technology was less successful with black people and people aged over 59.

Scanners also found it difficult to cope with volunteers who had large fingers and people wearing glasses.

Ministers suggested yesterday that they were considering using face, iris and fingerprint technology together on the same card, because one test alone was not reliable enough.

The scheme will cost an estimated £584m to run every year.