2 million mobile phones stolen per year

by Patrick Altoft on May 16, 2006

A mobile phone is stolen every 12 seconds in Britain, according to figures published by Halifax Insurance. Over 2 million phones worth 390 million pounds were stolen during 2005 with people in the North West apparently being most affected.

The figures are based on statistics from leading insurers and the government and exceed previous official estimates of 700,000 units per year.

Halifax Home Insurance stated that there had been a rise in phone-jackinG, where thieves target people for their mobiles.

 Phones are constantly getting lighter and more compact which makes them easier for opportunistic thieves to swipe, she said in a statement. Phone users should avoid  walking and talking, and keep their mobiles out of sight.

According to recent studies over half of all street crime in the UK involves the theft of a mobile phone. The rise in mobile phone use in recent years has helped fuel a rise in the number of handsets stolen.