As if having to put up with loud mouths on the train having phone conversations isn't bad enough (why is it people with booming voices always have their phone set so you can hear both sides of the conversation), now we have screaming phones.

It's the latest attempt to discourage thieves from stealing mobile phones - a growing crime problem in the UK. The idea from Remote XT sounds good - once known to have been pinched, a mobile will scream and the only way to stop it is to turn the phone off. It also blocks the Sim, ensuring thieves can't run up a huge bill in your name, and wipes the phone's data.

The downside is it costs £9.99 a month, more than insuring your mobile phone insurance. A one off fee would be far more attractive - or a payment per use. But at almost £120 a year, it's going to be easy for users to ignore the service, and even businesses may balk once they add up the costs.