Basildon police has enlisted the help of the town's stores in an effort to crack down on mobile phone thefts.
Hold it still - Ben Prager lends a hand as PC Darren Griffin marks a phone at the Mobile Phone Centre in Eastgate. Picture: LUAN MARSHALL 87DW74
All eight phone shops in the town centre have agreed to mark newly-sold goods with ultra-violet pens. The marks only show up under special lighting.
Recent national figures suggested around 15,000 mobile phones were stolen every month, with the majority of them being taken from youngsters who have been given the phones by security- conscious parents.
PC Darren Griffin, community liaison officer and PC Steve Wynn, schools liaison officer, have visited schools and colleges to mark students' mobile phones with the special pens.
PC Griffin said: "We've gone into each store in the town centre and they have agreed to work with us. The service is free. "
PC Griffin said: "Eventually, we would like to see insurance companies demand that expensive electrical goods are automatically marked - and the public mark each item they own."
For more contact PC Griffin on 01268 244026.
Published Friday, March 15, 2002
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