Ten mobile phones are snatched every day in Brighton and Hove.

More than 1,600 people in the city have been robbed of their mobiles so far this year.

Villains rack up hundreds of pounds in phone charges, for which the victims must often foot the bill.

Since June last year 3,576 handsets have been reported stolen - worth an estimated £200,000.

It is the single biggest category of street crime in the city.

Police and the phone industry are hitting back with a scheme to instantly deactivate stolen mobiles.

Lisa Claresby, a 35-year-old mother of twins, from Brighton, said: "I was out for the evening when mine was stolen. I couldn't even ring the babysitter to say we'd be late home.

"The thieves ran up a bill of £100 before the service was cut off.

"The phone company eventually said I didn't have to pay but I had to write them loads of letters. It was a real hassle and lots of aggravation."

Thieves normally use stolen phones to call friends around Britain or in other countries and then discard the SIM card.

One former phone thief told The Argus: "It's dead easy. You can pick up a new SIM card for a fiver and away you go again.

"Or you can sell the phone for £20, no problem."

Police and the phone industry hope a new system to immobilise mobiles will take the profit out of stealing them and cut the number of thefts drastically.

A database has been set up and the moment victims report a theft their handset and SIM card can be deactivated, making them both worthless.

The database has been set up by the Home Office and the communications industry.

Immobilise Phone Crime (www.immobilise.co.uk) works by blocking the number of a stolen mobile phone across all networks.

Inspector Steve Barry, of Brighton and Hove police, said: "Mobile phones were targeted in ten per cent of all crimes across the city during the first six months of this year.

"We have recently seen a six per cent reduction in public place violent crime, which includes robbery, but we cannot get complacent."

He urged phone owners: "Register it and remove the risk of it being stolen."

He said each mobile handset had its own unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, adding: "You can find out your IMEI number by typing *#06# into your mobile phone.

"If your mobile phone has been stolen you should report it to your network provider immediately or call Immobilise on 08701 123123.

"The handset itself, not just the SIM card which can be swapped easily, will be barred and will be unusable on any network, even if a new SIM card is inserted.

"Register your phone with the network operator, record your IMEI number and your phone number and keep these in a safe place, separate from your phone.

"Report the number of your stolen phone to your network operator and the police as soon as you can.

"It will be cancelled immediately like a stolen credit card."

Police community support officers will be outside Churchill Square shopping centre in Brighton between 1pm and 3pm on Friday, handing out Immobilise information to shoppers.