Huge surge in phone theft prompts call for urgent action
Huge surge in phone theft prompts call for urgent action
Some users are now reluctant to make the most of phone features
A thief stealing a smart phone from a man's back pocket
New research has found a sharp rise in smartphone theft across the country as 29% of people have now experienced phone theft, up from 17% a year ago. The surge is prompting phone users to scale back their use of mobile banking, email, social media and digital wallets.
67% of consumers say they are most concerned about unauthorised access to their bank cards or accounts, according to the research by Nuke From Orbit. 'The findings are deeply worrying,' said James O'Sullivan, CEO of Nuke From Orbit. 'In the past 18 months, we've seen a perfect storm: thefts are rising, personal security is lacking, and users are stuck in risky habits. It's unacceptable that nearly one in three people have had their phone stolen. The current solutions - and the police response - simply do not match the scale of the problem.'
Nearly half of people say they use their phones in public several times a day - a figure that rises to 71% among 18–25-year-olds, making them easy targets for opportunistic thieves. And many victims are reluctant to report the crime.
Nuke From Orbit is calling for stronger, more coordinated action on smartphone safety. The Rising Threat of Smartphone Theft: Consumer Behaviour and Security Challenges report highlights the need for improved consumer education, closer collaboration between tech providers and law enforcement and more integrated security solutions to better protect users and their data.
James has been actively engaging with stakeholders, from meeting with officials at Downing Street to working alongside ethical hackers to identify system vulnerabilities, pushing for faster progress across the sector.
Article continues below
'We need to shift how we approach smartphone safety,' he added. 'With greater awareness and stronger protections, we can reduce the impact of this growing threat and help prevent it altogether.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
19 hours ago
- BBC News
'The sea is like a minefield': The web of illegal fish traps in Italy's Mediterranean
Off the coast of Sicily, Sea Shepherd and its volunteers are hunting down illegal fish traps and working with Italian authorities to crack down on this environmental crime. The flat water melts into the teal-coloured sky as a former pilot vessel, the Sea Eagle, sails through the calm Tyrrhenian Sea surrounding the Aeolian Archipelago of Sicily. The ship is operated by Sea Shepherd, an international marine conservation non-profit. Today, the team is searching for fish aggregating devices (FADs), man-made plastic structures used to attract fish. They float in the water, anchored to the seafloor, with hanging nets to catch fish. FADs made from plastic, without GPS tracking devices attached, are illegal in Italy. While listening to techno music, a group of volunteers uses a winch to detach one of the FADs from the seafloor. A large plastic container labelled "corrosive" emerges from the sea. "The [techno] rhythm gives us the right energy," says James* (the crew do not wish to use their full names for safety reasons), a young Canadian volunteer who is running the operation and whose arms are covered in ocean-inspired tattoos. The volunteers work tirelessly to extract the plastic FADs from the sea and pile the tangled trash heaps into big bags. The retrieved plastic will be turned into plastic crates for sea turtle rescue operations. FADs are used worldwide by fishermen to attract pelagic fishes into surrounding nets. These fish-trapping devices are typically composed of used fuel, pharmaceutical and other chemical containers among other types of plastic waste, dark plastic nets and rocks, all of which is held together by a few miles of nylon thread. Marine wildlife is attracted to the shade provided by FADs. Abandoned FADs are illegal. They can cause a wide range of adverse environmental impacts, including the entanglement of marine life (particularly sharks and turtles), act as a habitat for the spread of invasive species, and wash ashore on beaches or become stranded on coral reefs. Many lost or abandoned FADs sink, causing environmental harm to deep-sea habitats. The material the FADs are made of matters too. FADs are required by Italian law to be biodegradable. All the FADs removed by the Sea Shepherds from the South Tyrrhenian Sea are illegal and made of plastic, says Nicola Silvestri, frigate captain and head of the Fishing Control Centre area in Western Sicily. They also lack markings which allow them to be traced back to the fishing boat that used them, he says. "Illegal FADs are very cheap to produce, but at the same time highly dangerous for ecosystems," says Andrea Morello, president of Sea Shepherd Italy. "These devices are installed by fishers in the month of August, then they catch fish around them in summer. Eventually, winter storms remove the devices, creating tonnes of hazardous and plastic waste floating in the sea." In this stretch of sea around Sicily's Aeolian Archipelago, the target fishing species in the summer are juvenile ricciola, bluefin tuna, juvenile swordfish and pilot fish. FADs can damage the entire population, by preventing juveniles from maturing and reproducing. The Sea Shepherd mission is part of the organisation's ongoing Siso operation in Sicily to combat these illegal fishing devices. "We are witnessing the biggest marine environmental disaster ever," says Morello. "The sea is like a minefield full of FAD lines in every direction, placed by fishers who split the sea surface among them, threatening biodiversity." The Sea Shepherd volunteers remove the long nylon threads attached to the FADs which can harm fish, turtles, humpback whales and dolphins by trapping and suffocating them. According to Sea Shepherd, there are more than 36,000 FADs, each one composed of almost 1.2 km (0.7 miles) of nylon lines in the South Tyrrhenian Sea, part of the Mediterranean Sea. The sea is like a minefield full of FAD lines in every direction – Andrea Morello It takes the volunteers one hour to extract almost 2km (1.2 miles) of a FAD line, it's the first out of seven removed that day. Not far away, a police coast guard boat is monitoring the work: later it will seize the illegal plastic materials. The use of FADs made from plastic waste, without GPS trackers, is an environmental crime in Italy. Sarah, a young German volunteer, rings the bell installed on the deck of the vessel, to celebrate and notify the crew that another FAD has successfully been extracted from the seabed. In total, the volunteers haul seven FADs onto the deck that day – their combined mass is the same size as a small car. Sea Shepherd runs covert missions, so that they are undetected by illegal fishers. The organisation maps the FADs using deep-sea radar technology and binoculars and removes them in collaboration with national maritime authorities. Between 2017 and 2024, the organisation removed 676 FADs from the Mediterranean Sea, says Morello. "We define ourselves as FAD hunters: here to protect the sea. We are also carrying out the first census of FADs ever realised in the Mediterranean Sea," he says. The data collected during this mission will be analysed as part of a research project that Sea Shepherd runs with the National Biodiversity Future Centre of the University of Palermo in Sicily and the Cima Research Foundation, based in Liguria, Italy. Using statistical analysis, Sea Shepherd has been producing maps since 2017 to identify for the first time the extent of this ghost labyrinth created by FADs anchored to the seabed. More like this: • The turtle video that sparked a plastics revolution • Which is worse for wildlife, wind or oil? • The ancient forest that supports Venice "With the information provided by Sea Shepherd, we were able to have a precise mapping of the location and composition of these devices," says Alberto Sechi, a marine biologist at Cima Foundation. "Since 2017, the plastic lines (mostly polypropylene) used to anchor the FADs exceeds 2,500km (1,553 miles): that corresponds to the distance between Paris and Moscow." In a single night, Morello says the Sea Shepherds discovered around 912 FADs in the waters surrounding the Sicilian island of Alicudi, each one composed of more than 1km (0.6 miles) of nylon threads. "Multiplying the number of FADs we found by the medium length of each thread, the total length of lines used in this area is a staggering 43,200 km (26.284 miles) of nylon: this is more than the circumference of the entire planet Earth," says Morello. Illegal FADs are very cheap to produce, but at the same time highly dangerous for ecosystems – Andrea Morrello Sea Shepherd's work involves removing as many FADs as possible, but then, the disposal problem arises. In 2022, the non-profit started collaborating with iMilani, an Italian company that specialises in building plastic crates from recycled materials. Together, they have created the Sea Turtle Crates project, which aims to transform the FADs into plastic crates for sea turtle rescue operations. After the entangled turtles have been freed from the FADs, they are put into the crates which Sea Shepherd uses to transport them to veterinarians. Six loggerhead turtles have been rescued to date and 100 turtle recovery boxes have been created from FADs, says Roberto Milani, founder of iMilani and a freediver. The company is hoping to design other items with FADs waste in future, including pens and other gadgets, which can be sold to finance Sea Shepherd's activities, says Milani. On the bow of the Sea Eagle vessel, the boxes for injured turtles are piled to the side of big bags full of plastic lines extracted from the FADs. In one day at sea, the crew removed seven FADs composed of 6.5km (4 miles) of nylon lines and plastic containers. Their labels reveal their previous lives: from hospital waste and corrosive liquids, to oil, gas and detergent jerrycans. Using radar, the Sea Shepherds map more than 100 FADs throughout the day. The crew's work begins early in the morning, and continues until sunset, with brief breaks for meals. Tuti, 23, an Israeli volunteer, prepares a vegan buffet each day. Today's menu is inspired by Latin American foods, such as empanadas, chimichurri, black beans mole and corn tortillas, which Tuti learned to cook during a Sea Shepherd mission in the Gulf of California, where she worked to protect the last vaquita dolphins. Onboard are 20 volunteers, from four continents with different ages and backgrounds: from Willie, a 20-year-old German student, to retired engineer and sea captain Gigi, 63, who joins Sea Shepherd's missions several times a year. "We are here because we want to be part of the solution. We are sort of part of it, by removing all those plastics from the seas," says Zafar from Pakistan, who is in charge of measuring and cataloguing each FAD for the database. "I don't understand people's insensitivity towards the sea and its inhabitants," he says. Many FADs are anchored to the seafloor with stones or buckets full of cement, says Teresa Romeo, director of the Sicily Marine Centre at the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station in Naples, Italy. She has been studying FADs since the 1990s. "They modify the seabed environment and affect all the species living there," she says. Romeo says a mandatory recovery of all FADs should be implemented. "We need to establish a spatial management plan to define a specific area [for FADs] and replace floating materials with biodegradable ones, in order to have a more sustainable fishing practice in the Mediterranean Sea," says Romeo. Sea Shepherd makes "a great contribution to the mapping actions of FADs and their efforts are useful for monitoring impacts, but in my opinion the aim cannot be drastic removal, but to regulate their use," she says. But creating biodegradable devices from materials such as hemp is difficult due to the high cost, according to Sechi. "Creating a completely biodegradable FAD is a significant challenge, and so far, no one has come up with a solution," he says. "One alternative could be hemp, but kilometres of hemp thread are very expensive, and no angler would spend that much." Experts such as Romeo say that the transition to biodegradable and non-toxic materials would be an important part of the solution to reduce marine pollution from fisheries based on FADs. As well as breaking down in the ocean, biodegradable materials may contain fewer toxins and heavy metals, compared to plastic, says Romeo, though she agrees that cost is a major barrier for materials such as hemp. In the meantime, the Sea Shepherds continue to sail the seas to map and remove illegal fish-trapping devices, collaborating closely with the local coastguard, researchers and private enterprises to crack down on this environmental crime. "This alliance is a solution to protect the deep sea," says Morello. -- If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Scottish Sun
05-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Why Lydia Bright refuses to end bizarre friendship with ex James Argent – despite beauty queen assault and social swipe
Pals have shared how Lydia reacted after Arg was arrested for attacking his beauty queen ex ARG'S ROCK Why Lydia Bright refuses to end bizarre friendship with ex James Argent – despite beauty queen assault and social swipe HE cheated on her multiple times, sent her abusive messages and at one point she told him: 'I despise you". Yet to the confusion of millions of Towie fans who have followed their journey from lovers, to enemies, and now the best of friends, Lydia Bright is sticking by James Argent after he violently assaulted his Swedish girlfriend Nicoline Artursson. 12 Lydia Bright has stuck by James Argent in the wake of his assault arrest Credit: Instagram 12 James in Spain attending a court 'rehabilitation' programme Credit: BackGrid 12 Argent attacked Nicoline Artursson who had shared a social media post which appeared to take a swipe at his close relationship with Lydia Credit: Doug Seeburg 12 James and Lydia's up and down relationship get Towie viewers hooked for years Credit: Rex A friend who knows both Lydia and Arg very well tells The Sun: 'When it comes to what happened with Arg and Nicoline, Lydia would never condone violence and has made that very clear to James, but she doesn't think that he is a violent man and she knows he deeply regrets the events of that night. "She has stuck by him, even though she doesn't agree with his actions - just as his other mates like Mark Wright have." Caught in the crossfire Lydia found herself publicly dragged into the fallout when a deleted instagram post from Nicoline, shared in the hours before the assault, appeared to take aim at her. Nicoline's social media message - deleted after she posted it to her 32,000 followers around 10:44pm on May 4 - read: 'Is it OK if your boyfriend is talking and hanging out with their ex and the family daily and liking their Instagram posts? The post continued: 'Then your partner blames you for seeing it, now the ex is supposedly their 'best friend'. If you're in a serious relationship you've got to respect your partner and leave the past in the past.' Hours after she deleted the message, disgraced James got into an explosive row with Nicoline and pushed her down some stairs at her apartment in La Cala de Mijas on the Costa del Sol. Quickly arrested and brought to court, Argent received a six-month suspended prison sentence for domestic abuse and was banned from contacting Nicoline. He pleaded guilty to 'mistreating' the former Miss Sweden, who was taken to hospital with horrific injuries. But while many would forgive Lydia for running a mile from her friendship with Arg after this latest scandal, she has remained loyal because, as those in her inner circle tell the Sun, the pair are "more than just mates, they're like family." Why Lydia stayed loyal A pal reveals: 'James and Lydia went through a lot when they were young and in a relationship but despite all the drama - they have stayed the closest of friends. Horrific injuries James Argent inflicted on his beauty queen girlfriend revealed as star avoids jail for horror attack 'There have been rocky moments, but they've both grown up together and there's a bond between them that can't be broken. 'They think of themselves as being kids on Towie, young and silly. Now they're adults and support each other. 'James is very much seen as part of her extended family and is very close to her mum, Debbie, and sister Romana. Their families are very tight knit." Indeed, Lydia becoming a mum to her daughter Loretta, five, who she shares with her ex, Lee Cronin, has only brought her closer with James - who is said to be 'like an uncle' to the little girl. Our insider adds: 'James was thrilled when Lydia became a mum and loves to spend time with her little girl Loretta – he absolutely dotes on her and loves treating her. He wants children one day and is very paternal, like an uncle." 12 James in 'like an uncle' to Lydia's daughter Loretta Credit: Instagram 12 James and Nicoline in happier times before that dark night in May Credit: Instagram @real_arg His darkest hours Lydia has also been Arg's rock at every testing time in his life including his long battle with obesity and drug addiction. When he revealed that he feared eating himself to death as his weight skyrocketed to 27st during his lowest ebb, later enduring several stints in rehab, Lydia was always there for him. 'Lydia's been a constant to James during his struggles with his weight and when he was losing himself to drugs," says a pal. 'She's only ever wanted the best for James and when he's been at rock bottom, she's always been there to lift him back up. "She sees the best in him - and knows what he's really like as a person and says he has a very good heart." Of course, those in James and Lydia's orbit often thought the childhood sweethearts would one day find their way back to each other romantically. 'There was a time when people thought James wanted Lydia back - it's obvious he does think about what their life could have been like if they stayed together. 12 At one point James weight rose to 27 stone Credit: The Mega Agency 12 He also has been open about his battle with drugs - which Lydia also supported him through Credit: Rex Features 'But that ship has sailed - James values the friendship so highly, it's the same for her. 'They speak regularly and see each other as much as they can - it's the same with James with Lydia's family. He'll pop in for a cuppa with Debbie and she sees him like a surrogate son.' The list of women he cheated with Arg and Lydia's love story started off screen nearly two decades ago when they were teens and their drama-filled romance made legendary TV on the ITVBe show - gripping viewers with its constant twists and turns. Both were OG cast members and viewers were completely gripped by their love story. During one iconic episode he bought her Mr Darcy for Christmas - a pet 'micro' pig which ended up growing to full size. At one point, the couple were engaged and planned to move in together but were hit by a series of cheating scandals and fall outs - in one scene Arg had to read a list of people he'd cheated with. He admitted kissing Amy Childs and bedding Gemma Collins and Lydia, on the same day, on a jaunt to Marbella. Even after multiple breakups (Arg's addictions were blamed for their many woes), they managed to maintain a friendship spanning 18 years. 12 James and Lydia were childhood sweethearts Credit: Getty Images - Getty 12 Their rocky rows played out on Towie Credit: Rex 12 James slept with Gemma Collins and Lydia on the same day, causing a huge drama Credit: Rex Features Fat jibes But there's been a dark side to their union. James was accused of sending vile messages to Lydia, calling her a "sl*t" for sleeping with someone else, after their breakup in 2012. He was later exposed for sending Gemma a series of abusive fat-shaming texts -reportedly referring to her as a "fat joke of a woman," saying she had "more rolls than Greggs." As late as 2020, Gemma revealed Arg had called her a "hippo" and a "fat f**k" when she shared screenshots of the vile abuse on Instagram. Arg and Lydia's relationship timeline The Towie pair go way back with their bond spanning 18 years and ups and downs 2008 : James and Lydia begin dating he was 20 and she was just 18. : James and Lydia begin dating he was 20 and she was just 18. 2010 : Both appear as original cast members on TOWIE, bringing their relationship into the spotlight and under public scrutiny for the first time. : Both appear as original cast members on TOWIE, bringing their relationship into the spotlight and under public scrutiny for the first time. 2012 : The couple end their relationship after five years after Arg allegedly relapses into his cocaine habit. Arg's party lifestyle was a huge source of contention, with most of their rows revolving around him keeping secrets from her and slipping back into his bad ways. : The couple end their relationship after five years after Arg allegedly relapses into his cocaine habit. Arg's party lifestyle was a huge source of contention, with most of their rows revolving around him keeping secrets from her and slipping back into his bad ways. Arg and Gemma Collins begin their romantic relationship in 2012, shortly after Arg's split from Lydia and she begins dating his 'rival' Tom Kilbey. December 2014 : Arg checks himself into The Priory and is rumoured to be spending Christmas in Rehab. : Arg checks himself into The Priory and is rumoured to be spending Christmas in Rehab. 2015 : They rekindle their romance, with their renewed relationship featured on TOWIE : They rekindle their romance, with their renewed relationship featured on TOWIE 2016 : James and Lydia split again, amid claims she caught him on a cocaine binge. : James and Lydia split again, amid claims she caught him on a cocaine binge. 2017 : Lydia discovers that James cheated on her, and it comes to light he slept with both her and Gemma Collins on the same day during a trip to Marbella. : Lydia discovers that James cheated on her, and it comes to light he slept with both her and Gemma Collins on the same day during a trip to Marbella. 2019 : Despite their past, James and Lydia remain friends, with James stating they are "extremely close again" and have kept their renewed friendship "low-key and behind closed doors." : Despite their past, James and Lydia remain friends, with James stating they are "extremely close again" and have kept their renewed friendship "low-key and behind closed doors." 2021 : James expresses fondness for Lydia, acknowledging her support and their enduring friendship. : James expresses fondness for Lydia, acknowledging her support and their enduring friendship. 2023: Lydia confirms that she and James remain good friends, emphasizing the strong bond they share Lydia also spoke about Arg controlling her during their time together saying: ''He could be so jealous and in the end it killed me. 'He was suffocating me and holding me back. He was insecure. He got so scared he was going to lose me he'd say, 'I can't let you do this and I can't let you do that'. 'He didn't even like me going out and every time I did, it was a drama.' 'Sad, lost and insecure' During one scene Lydia told him that she hated him saying: "I don't want us to ever be friends. I don't want you to speak to my friends and family. You made me hate you. When I look at you, I despise you." And she insisted he was 'sad, lost and insecure.' "We were getting a house, getting engaged, but nothing was ever enough for you,' she told him. "I tried to hold your hand through life, I gave you everything. "It's really sad because you give this front that you're this really happy person, loveable Arg but there's something in you that is so sad and lost and insecure.' Friends of the pair insist, however, that this is all water under the bridge and has only made the former couple's bond even stronger. 'Lydia and Arg have been through it all together. They have seen the best of each other, but also the worst of each other, but it's cemented an unbreakable bond between them. 'There is a deep love there that goes beyond any romantic relationship and they will always have each other's back. Lydia might not always agree with everything Arg does, and he has hurt her many times over the years, but she will always be there for, through thick and thin.'
Wales Online
04-06-2025
- Wales Online
Queen to appear in favourite author's new crime thriller about killer in palace
Queen to appear in favourite author's new crime thriller about killer in palace Peter James's latest Detective Superintendent Roy Grace thriller centres on a race to stop a killer at Buckingham Palace King Charles III and Queen Camilla (Image: Getty Images ) The Queen is to star in a new crime novel alongside her favourite fictional detective. Peter James's latest Detective Superintendent Roy Grace thriller centres on a race to stop a killer at Buckingham Palace. Camilla is depicted travelling aboard the Royal Train when disaster strikes and it derails, and a trusted aide is shot by a sniper, leading Grace to head to the Palace to investigate, the Daily Mail revealed. The Queen is understood to have been aware of the book. James – one of Camilla's favourite authors – is said to have carried out extensive research about the famous royal residence. Article continues below In the publicity for the novel, publisher Pan Macmillan describes James as the "Creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla's favourite fictional detective". It says of the plot: "A tragic accident or a planned attack?... Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced the Queen was the intended target... Failure at this level is not an option. But time is running out before a killer in the Palace will strike again." The also King features in The Hawk Is Dead: A Killer In The Palace, which is due out in October. Article continues below The Queen, a voracious reader and passionate supporter of a number of literary charities, previously recommended James's blockbusters as part her Reading Room book club. In 2021, she visited the set of Grace – ITV's television adaptation of James's books which stars John Simm as the troubled but methodical detective – and joked about asking for a cameo role. She told James: "I love your books. I've read them all, cover to cover."
