One of China’s top universities has installed facial recognition in a female dormitory to ensure the building is off limits to non-residents.

The scanners were introduced by Beijing Normal University last month over security concerns, and will be rolled out to another nine female dormitory buildings if they prove successful.

Facial recognition is becoming increasingly common in China, where it has been installed in ATM machines, KFC restaurants and even public toilets, as a means of clamping down on loo-roll theft.

The scanning technology was even used by organisers of a marathon in Beijing to snare cheats, and by a college lecturer to allow him to spot if students were getting bored.

Female students at the Beijing Normal University had their pictures taken last month before the machines were installed.

When they enter the building they are required to say their names, swipe an identity card and have their faces scanned.

If the student is recognised by the machine, it will say “welcome home” and the door will open. It says “be pretty” when students exit the building.