MORE than 200 smartphones are snatched every day — some 78,000 a year — as demand for second-hand devices rises.
The rate is the highest for over a decade, Home Office statistics reveal, with overall thefts from a person increasing by more than a third.
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A crackdown has been announced by the Government, and the Home Office will work with tech firms to find ways to tackle the crime.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “The Government is determined to do whatever’s necessary to protect people entitled to walk the streets without the threat of robbery.
“Phone companies must ensure any stolen phones can be quickly, easily and permanently disabled, rather than re-registered for sale.”
“If we work together, Government, tech companies and law enforcement can break the business model of the phone thieves and moped gangs who rely on this trade.”
Commander Richard Smith, said: “Personal robbery can have a devastating impact on victims, leaving them with trauma which can be lasting.
“Criminals often target some of the most vulnerable in society, such as children, with threats that violence may be used, making robbery particularly traumatic.
“We continue to target those habitual criminals responsible for prolific offending, whilst working to prevent young people from being into this type of offending.
School is first to KO phones
A SCHOOL has banned pupils from bringing in smartphones under a “brick phones-only” rule.
Headmaster David Smith said the policy was meant to protect his charges rather than boost academic results.
It is believed to be the first state school to ban smartphones on campus.
Instead, they will have to bring a “brick” — a basic, non-smartphone — to call or text at school.
Mr Smith, head of Fulham Boys School in West London, said: “I am not anti-technology.
“The issue is smartphones and social media apps which are addictive in their nature and are easily misused.”
The school found pupils got 50 notifications a day before the ban. New research shows 62 per cent of parents want smartphones removed.
