THE official Monster Raving Loony Party has joined the national debate on ID cards by issuing its own version - complete with mirror.

The cards, now being sent to members, are the brainchild of Honley woman Boney Maroney, the party's deputy leader.

"These new cards are going down a storm and are being sent out to members with their new membership packs. We think they're a great idea," said Boney, whose real name is Melodie Staniforth.

The credit-card sized cards tell holders to look in the mirror to check their identity.

If they're unsure they should ask a friend to look in the mirror and check for them.

And the third option asks people to try again later when sober.

The card is a stark contrast to Home Secretary David Blunkett's ideas for ID cards which include so-called "biometric" features such as fingerprints, facial recognition technology and eye scans.

Mr Blunkett said on Tuesday that eight out of 10 adults would have some form of biometric identity card in five or six years.