Protestors campaigning against the introduction of ID cards were held by police yesterday following an alleged disturbance at an event staged by Home Office Minister Meg Hillier.

Protestors campaigning against the introduction of ID cards were held by police yesterday following an alleged disturbance at an event staged by Home Office Minister Meg Hillier.

Nine people were arrested for alleged breach of the peace offences at the event at a hotel in central Edinburgh, police said. The incident happened at a meeting for representatives of businesses and service providers, including local authorities and charities, a Westminster spokesman said.

Among those arrested was Geraint Bevan, NO2ID Scotland co-ordinator, who had earlier accused the Home Office of refusing to listen to the public on the issue. He said that the ID database will result in "a massive erosion of privacy for individuals".

He claimed campaigners and "ordinary members of the public" were not allowed to attend the meeting and that it was not a genuine public consultation.

However Ms Hillier, the Minister for Identity, said last night that she had offered to meet the campaigners.

She said: "I am always happy to engage in constructive dialogue but NO2ID's behaviour in Edinburgh today demonstrates they are not interested in sensible debate.

"I offered to meet NO2ID in Edinburgh but they declined. They are stuck in the past and need to realise that the majority of UK citizens are supportive of identity cards, which start being issued to foreign nationals later this year."

Guy Herbert of NO2ID said last night: "Regardless of whether anybody is charged it is an extraordinary action for the police to take. NO2ID is an entirely peaceful and lawful organisation. It looks like someone has been arrested simply to avoid embarrassing a minister. It shows the need for people to protest even more."

Green MSP Patrick Harvie, a long-standing opponent to ID cards, said: "All the way along the government has been trying to conduct not public consultation but private consultation.

"There is no other word than sham for a public consultation exercise held behind closed doors where the public are excluded."

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "Following an incident at the Carlton Highland Hotel, Edinburgh, nine people were arrested in connection with breach of the peace offences."

A Holyrood spokesman said: "The Scottish Government has made clear its opposition to the implementation of the national identity scheme and the introduction of identity cards."

Cards will be mandatory for some foreign nationals from November and for airport workers from next year. The full roll-out will be in 2017.