Not satisfied with associating mobile use with low sperm count, brain tumours and the threat of instant damnation, scientists now believe the planet is at risk because mobiles are killing off bees.

Bee experts from the US have been experiencing a bizarre phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder (CCD) – a condition that renders the bees’ navigation systems useless and preventing them from doing their job of pollination.

No one knows what causes CCD but some scientists argue that the electromagnetic radiation emitted by handsets could be a causative factor.

According to the Landau University which has carried out limited research into the issue, up to 70 per cent of bees exposed to radiation failed to find their way back to their hive after searching for pollen. Researchers put cordless-phone docking units into bee hives for their tests.

British bee keepers are now calling for a full report into the issue which is gaining momentum in the UK. In America CCD has already ravaged 24 states wiping out between 50 and 90 per cent of colonies. It was recently recorded in Poland, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Bees pollinate millions of hectares of fruit trees and crops in the UK, a market worth an estimated £1bn a year.