Kids who use mobile phones are five times more likely to develop brain tumors than those who don't.

Boffins say that children under 16 should only be allowed to use mobile phones in emergencies. A Swedish study indicated that under-16s were more at risk of radiation from mobile phones because their brains and nervous systems were still developing.

Those who used mobile phones before the age of 20 had more than a fivefold increase in glioma, a cancer of glial cells that support the central nervous system. They were five times more likely to develop acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor that can cause deafness.

Professor Lennart Hardell, of the University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden, said radiation from the phones penetrated deeper into children's brains because their heads were smaller and skulls were thinner than adults.

If kids have to use phones they should use hands-free devices and try to restrict themselves to texting.