One of the few irritating things about pubs is when somebody gets served ahead of you when you know you’ve been waiting longer. On occasion I’ve been so incensed by the injustice I’ve left the premises and taken my business elsewhere.

Therefore, when I heard London pub Harrild and Sons in Farringdon was using facial recognition software to ensure people were served in the correct order, I hailed the move as a sensible step forward.

Needless to say my view wasn’t universally popular. Many people, including certain vocal groups, branded it yet another example of a growing invasion of public privacy through CCTV and other digital technology.