THE number's up for mobile phone thieves as Bury police clampdown on handset robbers.

Operation Hawk officers will be walking the streets and travelling in high visibility robbery vans to get the message across.

Mobile phone owners are also being urged to report thefts to their network so the handsets cannot be used by thieves.

Detective Sergeant Duncan Heywood, of Bury Police said: "Our officers are working hard to help stamp out mobile phone thefts, but one of the best ways to combat phone crime is to make users more aware of what they can do to minimise the risk.

"Very few owners realise their phones have a unique ID number, so we are aiming to encourage people to make a note of their IMEI* number. If the phone is stolen, this number can be used by police to prove the theft and return it to the rightful owner."

As a deterrent, users could also put a security sticker on the back of the phone that indicates that the IMEI number has been noted.

Det Sgt Heywood added: "There's also the issue of personal security. When using your mobile remain aware of your surroundings and who is around you. Keep it out of sight, set it to vibrate rather than ring, don't walk and text, and use locks to prevent people making calls on your phone."

If you have your mobile telephone stolen, report it immediately to the police and then contact your service provider who, using the IMEI number will cancel the phone and make it unusable.

* You can view your 15-digit IMEI number by pressing *#06# on your mobile.