MOBILE phone users are being urged to help police crack the soaring trade in stolen handsets.

Police are asking all users to mark the phones with ink which is invisible to the naked eye but shows up in UV light.

Officers across Bolton are being equipped with ultra-violet lights to help spot phones taken in thefts and robberies.

Crime reduction officer PC John Heyes said: "Mobile phones are a growing factor in street robberies and users can help us to cut the number of robberies by making it easier for phones to be identified.

"It's very useful for us in tracing the rightful owner of a phone and also in securing convictions.

"If thieves recognise that these phones are difficult to sell they will stop stealing them."

Police hope householders will also use property marking as a way of

Pens which use the UV sensitive ink and Smartwater - a gel which contains a unique code which is registered against a specific address - are available from police across Bolton.

"If anyone is offered a phone that seems to good to be true, it probably is," added PC Heyes.