A CRACKDOWN on fraudulent claims of lost mobile phones have been enforced by Harrow police who had been receiving a staggering 500 reported phone losses a month.

Suspecting that some of the reports had been made fraudulently the police have tightened up the reporting procedure, resulting in a drop from 500 reported phones losses in October last year, to just 100 last month.

Now,when people report lost phones at Harrow Central Police Station in Peterborough Road, Pinner Police Station or the Police Information Centre at Harrow Civic Centre they are required to supply their lost phone's unique IMEI number, proof of purchase and confirmation of their identity. They are also required to sign a declaration form.

Harrow Station Reception Officer Mike Long said: "We suspect that in the past some people have made fraudulent claims of lost mobile phones when their phones had not been lost but had been given to friends or relatives. By working closely with the mobile phone companies we are making it harder for people to commit insurance fraud.

"We are not refusing to take reports of lost mobile phones but by tightening up the process for reporting we are ensuring that more police time is spent helping genuine victims of crime and with people who really have lost their phones."

A crucial part of the tightening up of the reporting process is linking in with the police's National Mobile Phone Unit (NMPU). Every reported loss is registered on the National Mobile Phone Register which can be accessed by the police, mobile phone companies and phone recycling companies.

Falsely reporting your phone as lost could have serious consequences as one 15-year-old girl from Northolt has found out.

She reported that her phone had been lost at school but when,three weeks later, it emerged the phone was offered for sale to a phone recycling company it was checked against the National Mobile Phone Register and police are now investigating.

To register your phone visit www.immobilise.com . You can obtain your phone's unique IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number by keying in *#06#