According to recent statistics by life assistance business CPP,
Britain
’s mobile phone theft rate shows very little sign of abating; with six cities showing over ten per cent of residents have had their phones nicked at some point or other.
If you’re currently reading this in a pub in
Cambridge
, then you should check your pockets quick, as this city has a one-in-five mobile phone theft rate, and pubs are the most likely location for it to happen.
Top ten cities for mobile phone theft:
- Cambridge (20.0 per cent)
- Leicester (19.0 per cent)
- London (15.5 per cent)
- Birmingham (13.7 per cent)
- Glasgow (12.1 per cent)
- Sheffield (11.8 per cent)
- Manchester (9.4 per cent)
- Liverpool and Southampton (9.2 per cent)
- Newcastle (8.7 per cent)
- Plymouth (7.8 per cent)
This is technically 11, but we won’t argue semantics.
Likeliest location for theft:
- Pub (14.8 per cent)
- Club (11.7 per cent)
- High Street/Restaurant (7.2 per cent)
- Home (6.3 per cent)
- Holiday abroad (5.8 per cent)
- At work (5.4 per cent)
- Shop (4.0 per cent)
- Bus (3.1 per cent)
- Supermarket (3.1 per cent)
- Train (2.7 per cent)
According to the Metropolitan police, up to 10,000 mobiles are stolen each month. The National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU) says people should use the security functions on their phone including PIN access, silent and vibrate mode to deter would-be thieves.
John Walkley, Head of Mobile Phone Security at CPP Phonesafe said: "The constantly high rate of mobile phone theft reflects the fact Britons are still not doing enough to protect their valuables.
"It is important to remember your mobile phone is worth more than its retail price. Once stolen, fraudsters can use all the information it carries and engage in criminal activities."
Good news if you’re living in
Belfast
or
Norwich
– the lowest mobile phone theft rate can be found in these cities.
