Manchester's opinion on ID cards

This autumn Manchester is to become the first city in which anyone over the age of 16 with a UK passport can apply for an ID card.

The cards cost up to £60, which includes administrative fees, if people sign up through a post office or High Street pharmacy.

The government said ID cards would be a secure way of people proving who they are.

People in Manchester have mixed feelings, however, and here are some of their views:

Freddie Fison, 22, management student at University of Manchester

It's an infringement on freedom but if you haven't done anything wrong I can't see any problem with it.

As long as ID cards are voluntary I can see why it's a good idea but I would disagree with it if it was compulsory. It would be too much like Big Brother.

Shirafte Olawepo, 30, a care worker from Ardwick

What's the essence of having ID cards? If you don't have a passport I can understand why but you have to have a passport to apply so there seems to be no point.

I can use my international passport as ID and there's so many other forms too.

Brian Tattersall, 54, a porter from Sale

It doesn't bother me as I have nothing to be afraid of. They are better than passports as passports are a lot easier to fake. You can see that from all the university students who come in on fake passports and then are never seen again.

There shouldn't be a charge. It should be free, something students can pick up from their union.

Efi Mauritsio, 30s, an art lecturer from Manchester city centre

I have the same issue with ID cards as I did with the biometric chips in passports - that they could still be broken into and people's identities stolen.

All the information being stored in one place is concerning as it could be hacked and they would have all the information they need to steal a person's identity.

Zoyra Choudhry, 23, a pharmacist at A&A Pharmacy in Rusholme