A recent CPP survey revealed that 29% of Belfast residents questioned had experienced mobile phone theft - only 3% lower than Glasgow, which topped the poll at 31%.

And in Belfast, one in 10 cases involved thieves grabbing phones or handbags from victims in the streets, while one in five people were targeted at one of the city's night spots.

The study also showed that thieves are most likely to strike in Belfast in April and August.

The CPP, the UK's leading life assistance business, which polled 3,500 people, revealed that Glasgow is the worst place to live for mobile phone theft, where almost a third of residents have been victims.

The survey also showed, however, that people in Northern Ireland are more vigilant than their Glaswegian counterparts, as they are twice more likely to report the theft straight away.

The third highest mobile theft hotspot in the UK is Liverpool - where 12% of victims had not insured their handsets - followed closely by Chelmsford and London.

At the other end of the scale, Aberdeen and Norwich experienced the fewest incidents of mobile phone theft.

John Walkley, Head of Mobile Phone Security at CPP Phonesafe, said that mobile phone theft is becoming alarmingly common, with around 10,000 handsets being stolen each month.

"Most people rarely leave home without their mobile phone, so it's vital to always be on guard for opportunists - especially if you are talking on the phone while walking in the street, or have it on show in a pub or club," he said.

"The study also showed almost two-thirds of people in the United Kingdom fail to insure their mobile phone, despite the fact that the average handset would cost more than £200 to replace and airtime abuse can run into several hundreds of pounds."

The survey also pinpointed the likeliest locations for theft with the pub coming in first at 22%; a nightclub taking second place at 15% and workplaces in third place (10%).