Ways to stop thefts of phones

4:15pm Thursday 8th November 2001

A MOBILE phone crime prevention campaign aimed at schoolchildren has been launched by the Metropolitan Police.

Posters are being put up and liaison officers are visiting secondary schools to give advice on how to prevent mobile phones being stolen.

The campaign has been launched in response to a continued rise in mobile phone thefts.

In half of London's street robberies a mobile phone is stolen and in two thirds of those a mobile phone is the only item taken.

Fourteen to 17-year-olds are the most likely to be victims of street crime.

Police spokesman Superintendent Archie Torrance said: “The Met takes street robbery very seriously and this year we have arrested 20 per cent more street robbers compared to last year.”

People are being encouraged to record their unique mobile telephone identification number, which can be seen by pressing *#06#.

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