A PAPERBOY was robbed of his mobile telephone at knifepoint as he carried out his daily delivery round.The 16-year-old was stopped by a youth in Newbury Road, Ipswich, at about 5.

A PAPERBOY was robbed of his mobile telephone at knifepoint as he carried out his daily delivery round.

The 16-year-old was stopped by a youth in Newbury Road, Ipswich, at about 5.20pm yesterday who threatened him with a knife before taking the telephone.

Police are appealing for witnesses and said the offender was wearing a light coloured sweatshirt type-top with a hood pulled over his head to hide his face.

Insp Mike Hinshelwood said: "It appears that the robber presented the knife and wanted to know what the victim had and all the boy had worth stealing was the mobile phone.

"It's not reasonable to expect people not to carry a mobile phone but we would remind people to be vigilant."

The robbery comes at the same time a new survey revealed about 1.3 million people had their mobile telephones stolen in the last year.

The latest estimate of how many telephones were stolen is nearly double the recent Home Office estimate of 700,000. It also found that Londoners were twice as likely to have their telephones stolen as people elsewhere in the country and teenagers were the most likely victims.

Anyone with information should call DC Soraya Francis at Ipswich CID on 01473 613500.

n Two females were arrested in Ipswich town centre shortly before midnight last night following a robbery in the Lloyds Avenue area.

Initial reports suggested someone had been slashed across the face or neck with a screwdriver during the incident.