100,000 mobiles are left in cabs

More than 100,000 mobiles a year are left in the back of London black cabs, a survey reveals today.

Absent minded passengers also forget thousands of lap-tops and handheld electronic devices.

The figures have soared in recent years as more workers treat the cab as a mobile office during their journeys.

The survey, carried out by mobile security firm Pointsec for Taxi magazine, revealed that in the second half of last year, 63,135 mobiles, 5,838 handheld computers and 4,973 laptops were left in licensed taxi cabs. One of the most forgetful passengers was Hugh Grant's girlfriend Jemima Khan who left her iPod, mobile and purse in the back of her cab, according to the survey.

Stuart Pessok, editor of Taxi, said: "Most are returned with 80 per cent of mobiles and 96 per cent of laptops reclaimed." More unusual lost items documented in the survey included a harp, a throne, a dog, a hamster, a suitcase from the fraud squad - and a baby girl.