More than one phone? You're a terrorist

The other day I was getting on the Tube and I found a copy of a London Paper. As I was flicking through the latest gossip about celebrities and other pointless 'news', I came across an advert from the Metropolitan police.

It said, "Terrorists need communication. Anonymous, pay-as-you-go and stolen mobiles are typical. Have you seen someone with large quantities of mobile phones? Has it made you suspicious?" I'm a mobile phone reviewer. I'm now slightly worried.

I completely understand why the Met would issue this warning and while it does make sense, there's a little problem with it. I'm not the only one who legitimately has a huge number of mobile phones. Indeed, almost everyone I know has over five mobile phones stashed somewhere in their house.

With UK networks subsidising the cost of upgrades, it's no wonder we all own a small mountain of old handsets. Does this make me suspicious? Yes it does -- not because I think my friends are terrorists, but because I don't know why there isn't a government initiative to get rid of all these old phones.

Terrorism is a very serious problem that has to be dealt with, but so is global warming. The amount of electronic waste we're generating is so high it's seriously contributing to climate change. The advert should come with an extra warning: "Have you seen someone with large quantities of mobile phones? Are they going to recycle them?"

If you do want to do something about your old mobile phones, please contact an organisation such as ActionAid or Envirofone and make sure you recycle electronic waste when you can.