Toronto, Aug 14 - Canada will deploy 'behaviour detection officers' at its airports soon to spot terrorists and criminals.

These officers in plainclothes will watch air passengers for physiological or bodily hints of any hostile intent in their behaviour as they pass through concourses and departure lounges.

The officers will be trained to study air passengers' facial expression, nervous foot-tapping and body movement to spot any hints of their intentions.

The Canadian Air Transport Authority is starting a pilot project this year to put this plan into action from next year.

The 'behaviour pattern recognition' scheme will first be implemented at a major airport and then extended to other airports, according to the airport authority.

The Canadian scheme will be on the lines of similar programmes in place at airports in the US, Britain and Israel.

The scheme follows the 2007 report of a panel of aviation and security experts which recommended behavioural profiling at Canadian airports.