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Q243: I have lost my mobile phone, can I report it to the police?

Answer

In a bid to ease pressure on resources, the police are no longer able to assist with general lost and found property. Most forces in England and Wales can now only accept certain items, including:

    • Items which contain personal data (mobile phones, tablets, laptops etc)
    • Illicit items (weapons, ammunition, drugs)
    • Significant amounts of cash
    • Items of high value

If this facility is available, the procedure may vary from force to force however it is likely that you will need to prove ownership of the mobile phone. In some forces you may be able to report it over the telephone whilst in others you need to report in person to your local police station with a copy of the contract or box for your phone. The police need a record of the IMEI number for your mobile phone that is so it can be recognised as your phone if it is handed in or recovered.

The IMEI/serial number on your phone is a number that is unique to your mobile phone. To find out what your IMEI number is type *#06# into your phone.

We would recommend that you contact your network provider to inform them the device is lost so they can stop anyone else using it.

Contact details for the mail mobile phone network providers can be found in relation information.

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Answer

In a bid to ease pressure on resources, the police are no longer able to assist with general lost and found property. Most Police forces in England and Wales can only accept certain found items, this is not an exhaustive list but would include:

  • Items that contain personal data (mobile phones, tablets, laptops etc.)
  • Illicit items (weapons, ammunition, drugs)
  • Significant amounts of cash
  • Items of high value

As a mobile phone could contain personal data about its owner, the police are unable to pass it onto the finder

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Answer

Please note from 1st March 2017 the penalty for using a mobile phone whilst driving will increase to 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. Anyone who is caught a second time could potentially face a £1000 fine and six-month ban from driving. The new penalties apply in England, Wales and Scotland.

If the mobile phone can be operated without it being held, then hands free kits are permitted. The touching of buttons on the phone is allowed, as long as the phone is not held whilst being operated.

If your mobile phone is blue tooth compatible then you can buy a blue tooth head kit. If your phone is not blue tooth compatible then the best option is probably a speaker phone kit.

However, there are still risks to using a mobile phone whilst driving as they are a distraction. If you are involved in an incident, even if you are using your mobile phone legally, you could still face prosecution for failing to have proper control of your vehicle.

You can also be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving, which carry higher penalties. If you kill someone in an accident caused by phoning or texting etc. you can expect a lengthy prison sentence.

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Answer

The use of the mobile phone to call the emergency services on 999 is permitted under the regulations, if you are acting in response to a real emergency and it is not safe or practical for you to stop to make the call.

Please note from 1st March 2017 the penalty for using a mobile phone whilst driving will increase to 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. Anyone who is caught a second time could potentially face a £1000 fine and six-month ban from driving. The new penalties apply in England, Wales and Scotland.

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Answer

Texting whilst driving is not permitted if you have to hold the phone to operate it.

The penalty for using a mobile phone whilst driving is 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. Anyone who is caught a second time could potentially face a £1000 fine and six-month ban from driving. The new penalties apply in England, Wales and Scotland.

You can also be prosecuted for careless driving or dangerous driving which carry higher penalties. If you kill someone in an accident caused by phoning or texting etc. you can expect a lengthy sentence of imprisonment.

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Answer

The use of a mobile phone without a hands free kit is not allowed whilst driving. The police do not advocate driving whilst using a mobile phone at all as they are distracting.

Please note from 1st March 2017 the penalty for using a mobile phone whilst driving will increase to 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. Anyone who is caught a second time could potentially face a £1000 fine and six-month ban from driving. The new penalties apply in England, Wales and Scotland.

Driving includes times when for whatever reasons you are held up during the journey, for example, traffic jams and traffic lights.

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Question

Q243: I have lost my mobile phone, can I report it to the police?

Answer

In a bid to ease pressure on resources, the police are no longer able to assist with general lost and found property. Most forces in England and Wales can now only accept certain items, including:

    • Items which contain personal data (mobile phones, tablets, laptops etc)
    • Illicit items (weapons, ammunition, drugs)
    • Significant amounts of cash
    • Items of high value

If this facility is available, the procedure may vary from force to force however it is likely that you will need to prove ownership of the mobile phone. In some forces you may be able to report it over the telephone whilst in others you need to report in person to your local police station with a copy of the contract or box for your phone. The police need a record of the IMEI number for your mobile phone that is so it can be recognised as your phone if it is handed in or recovered.

The IMEI/serial number on your phone is a number that is unique to your mobile phone. To find out what your IMEI number is type *#06# into your phone.

We would recommend that you contact your network provider to inform them the device is lost so they can stop anyone else using it.

Contact details for the mail mobile phone network providers can be found in relation information.
 
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