Imagine you’re a thief and you’ve just nabbed the latest in mobile gorgeousness from your unsuspecting victim, when all of a sudden, the afore-mentioned mobile starts screaming… loudly.

This is the latest in anti-phone theft technology and has been introduced by device management company Synchronica. Its system can remotely lock and wipe data from mobile phones as soon as their owners report the loss. If the phone has been stolen, companies can also turn on the Synchronica Scream feature which lets out a piercing scream.

“According to industry sources, it takes on average only 30 seconds for someone to notice that their phone is missing, compared to an hour for a wallet or purse,” said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica. “Using our service, crime victims can be reassured that their information is immediately removed from the stolen phone, along with the satisfaction of annoying the thief with a screaming handset”.

Orange has said it will use the system.