An online petition against UK identity cards has reached its target of 10,000 signatures, with each respondent pledging £10 to fight the legislation.

The No2ID campaign was set up to oppose the introduction of ID cards in the UK and aimed to get 10,000 people to sign an online petition and pledge £10 to underwrite legal challenges against the bill.

No2ID has stated that any money left over from legal proceedings will be donated to charity. 

"When I started this pledge, I hoped we could show the government the depth and strength of feeling against this draconian ID system," said organiser Phil Booth in a message to those who signed up.

"This pledge does not end just because we have reached 10,000. We know that many tens of thousands more will refuse to register, and we still want to reach them and have them sign up before the closing date of 9 October, the day before Parliament sits again in the autumn.

"The more of us that there are by then, the harder we make it for the government to proceed."

The plans for ID cards have already come under attack from analysts and academics, but this is believed to be the first time that an electronic petition has been used to show opposition and raise money.