A lot of journalists find mobile telephones are an indispensible part of their working, and personal, lives.

But in Devon, columnist Colleen Smith is waging what she calls “a pointless and futile one-woman crusade” against the mobile phone.

In her latest column for the Torquay Herald Express, Colleen says her efforts are mostly aimed at annoying her “deprived” offspring who tell her they are the only family in the entire western hemisphere, “or this side of the Tamar at least”, which does not possess at least one mobile.

She added: “In fact, they would have me believe that their blighted lives are in constant and mortal danger because we do not have our own mobile phone, with which to keep in minute-to-minute contact with throughout the day.”

Her daughter had tried to convince her of the many benefits of mobiles with a story about the girl next to her who spent an entire maths lesson exchanging text messages with her mum back home about what they would be having for tea.

Needless, to say, Colleen was not convinced.

She told readers: “If you would like to join me in my campaign against the mobile, I am collecting stories and would love to hear from you.

“I know. One day I will probably have to admit defeat and allow the kids to have a mobile phone.

“The fact that they might fry their brains and die of a brain tumour does not seem to be a good enough reason for them to be different from their friends.

“But at the moment I feel like Michael Caine fighting a stubborn rearguard action in Zulu or Custer’s Last Stand, or something.

“I am determined not to give in without a fight.”