Any issued cards are now unusable with databases set to be destroyed within days

The much criticised ID cards scheme is finally dead and buried after the government revealed on Friday that any cards issued can no longer be used to prove identity or travel within Europe.

A brief statement on the Home Office web site explained that the final nail in the coffin would come "within days" when the National Identity Register, the database designed to hold the card details, will be destroyed.

"Laying ID cards to rest demonstrates the government’s commitment to scale back the power of the state and restore civil liberties," said home office minister Damian Green.

"It is about the people having trust in the government to know when it is necessary and appropriate for the state to hold and use personal data, and it is about the government placing their trust in the common-sense and responsible attitude of the people."

However, despite the administration’s insistence that the scheme was an essential tool in the war on terror, it was much criticised by business and privacy groups, with then ICO Richard Thomas raising significant data protection concerns.

These were heightened when the massive HMRC data breach led to a spate of revelations about poor data handling practices among public sector bodies.

Author: Phil Muncaster