New mobile phone register aims to combat phone crime

A new National Mobile Phone Register, which aims to combat the problem of mobile phone theft, has been launched by the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit.

Under the scheme, mobile phone owners in the UK can register their details on a national database for free.

When a lost or stolen phone is recovered, the police will be able to check the details against the database. The owner will then be contacted, and arrangements made for the return of their phone.

Thousands of mobile phones are lost or stolen every year.

Hazel Blears, Home Office minister, welcomed the initiative, commenting, 'the register will be of great value to our fight against street crime, which has already seen robberies – many involving theft of a phone – fall by 24% in the two years since we launched the street crime initiative'.

The register currently holds information on more than 10 million mobile phones, and people across the UK are being encouraged to add their details to the database.

For further information, or to register, visit the Immobilise website.