THE Government is compiling a database to track and store the travel records of millions of people. The intelligence centre will store names, addresses, telephone numbers, seat reservations, travel itineraries and credit card details for all 250 million journeys made in and out of the UK each year.

The Government says the database is essential in the fight against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism.

The Home Office website states: "The information will be kept for no more than 10 years. It will be protected in keeping with the Data Protection Act and appropriate security controls will ensure it is not used or accessed incorrectly."

Conservative MEP for the West Midlands, Philip Bradbourn, has criticised these latest surveillance measures as a "step too far". Mr Bradbourn, who is also senior vice-chairman of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in the European Parliament said: “The justification for such measures is always about security but the truth is that law-abiding citizens should not have their right to privacy undermined by proposals such as these, especially when other methods of intercepting potential threats already exist.

"What is needed is a measured approach. We do, of course, need to ensure the safety and security of the travelling public but the approach must be proportionate to the threat.

"We have all seen the difficulties involved in safeguarding personal data from prying eyes, particularly with the loss of computer records on more than one occasion by Government officials, yet here again we see a reliance on electronic information gathering and storage of people's most personal details.

“In my opinion, the database being compiled by the UK Gvernment is a step too far and will further undermine our most cherished of civil liberties our right to privacy.

"The proposals as they stand are yet another step down the road to a Big Brother state.”