PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has pledged his support for controversial Government plans to introduce identity cards.

It is thought a bill paving the way for the new cards could be introduced within the next four weeks.

The Labour backbencher said he had originally been opposed to the plans but had changed his stance.

Mr Prentice said: "Identity cards are commonplace elsewhere in Europe where land frontiers and porous borders have always posed problems.

"I was originally opposed to ID cards. I thought they would be too easily forged and we would spawn a whole new industry of ID counterfeiters.

"But new technology has provided the answer to this. Biometrics involving things such as iris scans are pretty close to being foolproof.

"Identity theft is a huge problem and is costing the country about £3billion a year.

"And we now face the scourge of international terrorism.

"The state has the right to know who is living within its borders."