HUNDREDS more mobile phones have been given special protective markings by police.
Last month, 1,500 handsets were marked with ultra-violet pens.
Phone owners were told they could use special pin codes in the battle against thieves.
Following a two-day town centre campaign organised by officers from Bolton Central operational policing unit, 500 more phones have been marked.
Police officers intend to mark 5,000 phones as part of Operation Hawk.
The campaign comes after statistics revealed many mugging victims were youngsters attacked by teenagers for their phones.
Steve Openshaw, crime reduction advisor for Bolton South sub-division, said: "We will be repeating the event because we were overwhelmed with the reposnse. There's obviously a need for it."
A phone marking event will be held at the Royal Bolton Hospital and officers will visit schools.
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