But the immigration authorities are keen to explore other options, including the use of dental x-rays, reports Sue Learner.
More than 40 per cent of unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK have their age disputed and are processed as adults, according to Home Office figures.
If they are children, they are entitled to local authority care. But if they are processed as adults, it is another story. They get little or no social work support or education and are housed in hostel accommodation with adults. In some cases, they can be held for weeks in adult detention centres.
Determining a young person's age can be difficult but it is vital to get it right, says Lisa Nandy, policy adviser for the Children's Society and chair of the Refugee Children's Consortium: "It is a child protection issue. The last thing we want is adults in the children's system and vice versa."
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