Yuck! Sixth of Britain's cellphones have traces of poo on them

Playing Angry Birds on the loo: There are consequences
By Brid-Aine Parnell
14th October 2011

One in every six mobiles in the UK has got traces of poo on it, according to a new study.

Scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Queen Mary, University of London, found that mobes were typically contaminated with faecal matter because people still didn't wash their hands properly with soap after going to the loo. (Or it could also be because people can't resist tweeting and playing Angry Birds while they're in the middle of a particularly stubborn bowel movement.)

The study, released ahead of Global Handwashing Day held on 15 October, also showed that the British tend to lie about their hygiene habits.

"Although 95 per cent of people said they washed their hands with soap where possible, 92 per cent of phones and 82 per cent of hands had bacteria on them. Worryingly, 16 per cent of hands and 16 per cent of phones were found to harbour E coli – bacteria of a faecal origin," the study's canned statement said. the rest image