Nokia is the mobile of choice for London muggers

A study by the Midlands Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice at Loughborough University has shown that 49 per cent of all mobile phones stolen in London were made by Nokia.

The study covered over 100,000 stolen phone crimes in London throughout 2005. The Nokia 6230 was top on the most stolen list, followed by the Motorola Razr, the Samsung D500 and the Sony Ericsson K750i.

The study was carried out as part of a study into how manufacturers can make mobile phones more secure, just as the Home Office's Car Crime Index spurred car makers to design in security to new models.

"Mobile phone theft has been increasing when many types of crime have been falling for years," said Jen Mailley, lead author on the study.

"The top ten charts are a step in the right direction," says Mailley, "because they empower consumers with information, which should stimulate anti-crime design efforts by the mobile phone industry."

However the research doesn't take into account the popularity or otherwise of different types of mobile phones.

"The 6230 has been the best selling mobile phone globally for Nokia in its history and is still very popular," said a Nokia spokeswoman.