The FBI is enlisting British law enforcement agencies to set up an international database containing the biometric details of thousands of people.

The programme, known as Server in the Sky, could result in an unprecedented transatlantic exchange of personal information.

Biometric measurements, irises or palm prints as well as fingerprints could be exchanged.

A working group that includes the British National Policing Improvement Agency and bodies from the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, has been set up to plan strategy.

The Home Office and Metropolitan Police confirmed last night that they were aware of the programme. The NPIA, which is responsible for the UK database of 7 million sets of fingerprints and other biometric details used by police forces, said it was too early to comment on what its participation in Server in the Sky would be.

There is likely to be concern in Britain about the safeguarding of personal privacy and how much access foreign law enforcement agencies are granted to details about British citizens.

Within the European Union there is already a high level of co-operation after a proposal was agreed last June to allow member countries to search each other’s DNA and fingerprint databases. The Prum treaty allows all 27 national police forces instant access to details of four million Britons, many of whom have not been charged.

An FBI spokesman told The Guardian: “Once complete it will provide a technical forum for member nations to submit biometric search requests to other nations. It will maintain a core holding of the world’s worst-of-the-worst individuals. Any identifications of these people will be sent as a priority message to the requesting nation.”

It is proposing, according to the newspaper, to establish three categories of suspects on the system: internationally recognised terrorists and felons; major felons and suspected terrorists; and those who are the subject of terrorist investigations or criminals with international links.

It is thought that each participating country would continue to manage and secure its own data on its existing systems.

The US defence company Northrop Grumman, which built IDENT1, the UK database, said it had spoken to the FBI about the new project.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Fern Britton: 'I still can't see that I was wrong'
• Extreme cooking
• Easy French: Tarte Tatin