Vendors asked to help fight crime

UK Home Secretary, John Reid, is reportedly planning to invite Apple and Sony to join a summit on gadget crime in the UK.

Last week, figures from the British Crime Survey, revealed that overall levels of crime were roughly stable compared to the previous year. But street robberies had risen 8 per cent to 26,600 during the final quarter of last year, with the majority involving personal electronics such as iPods and phones.

Reid is set to ask the manufacturers of personal media players and mobile handsets to devote as much research to anti-crime functions as they do to other features.

Apple and Sony are thought to have been targeted because of their reputation as ‘design’ firms but other electronics manufactures are also expected to be asked to get involved.