The spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police said that discussions were at an early stage, and that Britain's Home Office (interior ministry) had also been involved, but declined to give further details on the programme, which may include exchanges of biometric information.

'We are aware of the proposed project,' the police spokesman said.

'As you would expect, we consider a wide range of initiatives as we constantly look to enhance our investigative capabilities. Relevant safeguards are always considered as part of this process.' A spokesman for the Home Office also confirmed the discussions.

The news comes after the FBI told The Guardian daily of its proposed 'Server in the Sky' programme, which would link the policing networks of the United States' allies in the so-called 'war on terror' - the newspaper said that in addition to Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand would be involved.

'Server in the Sky is an FBI initiative designed to foster the advanced search and exchange of biometric information on a global scale,' the FBI told the paper.

'While it is currently in the concept and design stages, 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.' There will reportedly be three categories of suspects in the database - 'internationally-recognised terrorists and felons", 'major felons and suspected terrorists' and a third group including criminals with international links and subjects of terrorist investigations.

The project is likely to raise concern among privacy groups, particularly in Britain, which has suffered multiple high-profile losses of citizens' data in recent months.

Most notably, personal data of some 25 million Britons was lost in the post in November, the biggest-ever loss of personal information by any government. -- AFP