As many as forty per cent of the people who report mobile phone thefts in Bedfordshire are lying, it was revealed this week.

Police are certain that a huge number of phones are lost through the carelessness of the owner, who often insists a handset has been stolen so they can claim on their insurance policy.

But most people do not realise that reporting your phone stolen when it has actually been mislaid is a crime.

Beds police this week launched an awareness campaign to prevent so much bogus reporting. From now on, calls about mobile phone thefts will no longer be taken over the phone and members of the public will have to go to their local police station in person.

Force crime prevention officer, Insp Jack Mahli, said: "Like other police forces, we know that many reports are false and that people find it easier to fabricate an incident when they don't have to see an officer face to face.

"Now people will have to make those reports in person so that a proper assessment can be made by a member of staff."

False reporting of theft can lead to arrest if you are found out, with potential penalties including heavy fines and imprisonment. Some shops even advise customers who lose a phone to report it stolen.

Police say that this causes a problem as it paints a vastly inaccurate picture of the level of genuine thefts and means that priorities may be wrongly directed.

Insp Mahli added: "Posters informing people of the penalties for false reporting will be going up in all our police stations and we've also sent them to mobile phone shops for display.

"Often phones are handed in to police stations by honest members of the public and we stand no chance of returning them to the owner because the owner has not been able to tell us the serial number."