* The average age at which children receive their first mobile phone is eight
* Children who own phones are more likely to become victims of crime. Of the 700,000 mobiles stolen last year, almost half were taken from under 18s
* A recent study found that 14 per cent of children had been bullied by text message, making it three times more common than internet or email bullying
* A telecommunications research house is developing a system which gives schools and parents control over phones via a website
* Scientists in Hungary have found that regular users of mobile phones have sperm counts up to 30 per cent lower than non-users
