Muslim who refused body scan grounded

The passenger was at Manchester Airport for a flight to Islamabad when she was selected to pass through the controversial security screen.

She was warned she would not be allowed to board the Pakistan

International Airlines flight if she did not comply but she decided to forfeit her ticket and left her luggage at the airport.

Her female companion also left the airport after she cited "medical reasons" for not wanting to go through the scanner.

More than 15,000 people have already passed through the 80,000

Rapiscan machine at the airport's Terminal 2. The Government introduced the scanner at Heathrow and Manchester airports last month.

Security staff use the X-ray machine to check for any concealed weapons or explosives but it has attracted criticism for also showing clear outlines of passengers' genitals. Civil liberties campaigners say the scanners are an invasion of privacy.

Sources at Manchester Airport said the flight to Pakistan about two

weeks ago was busy and that no other passengers objected.

The female passenger who declined on medical grounds was said to be concerned because she had an infection.

It is understood the women may be the first passengers in the UK to be barred from taking a flight after refusing to submit to the scan. Heathrow Airport said it could not comment.

A Manchester Airport spokeswoman said: "Body scanning is a big change for customers who are selected under the new rules and we are aware that privacy concerns are on our customers' minds, which is why we have put strict procedures to reassure them that their privacy will be protected."

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis stressed that images captured by body scanners are immediately deleted after the passenger has gone through.