Berlin -- Germany opposes European Union plans to deploy full-body scanners at airports as protection against hijackers, a Berlin government spokesman said Friday.

The device has been described as a "strip scanner" as it constructs an image of each traveler's body without clothing.

"I can tell you with complete clarity that we are not going to cooperate in this mischief," a Federal Interior Ministry spokeswoman said Friday at a government news conference.

Earlier, German federal police said they would commence a study by engineers of the devices, which are already in use at some US airports. 

Advocators of the device say the scanners can detect ceramic knives and plastic explosives, which are invisible to current detectors. It will also avoid the need for guards to "pat down" travelers with their hands.

However, this week, EU parliamentarians expressed opposition against plans to test the scanners as an alternative to the hand held metal detectors currently used at European airports.

DPA/Expatica