Airport-style x-ray cameras which see through clothes, could be installed on street lampposts in a bid to combat terrorism, it was claimed last night.

The measure was suggested in a memo sent last week to one of Tony Blair's working groups at the Cabinet Office, the Sun newspaper reported. The move comes amid growing concern about Britain's "surveillance society".

The Home Office memo, to the Prime Minister's working group on security, crime and justice, reportedly said: "Street furniture could routinely house detection systems that would indicate the likely presence of a gun, for example.'"

The Government is increasingly finding new ways of using "street furniture" for security.

"Architectural security improvements have been designed carefully on the basis of specific architectural advice to improve security measures in a widespread way," the Cabinet Office admitted last week.

Last night both the Cabinet Office and the Home Office refused to comment on the memo.

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