Brace yourself for the latest in trendy phobias to afflict our techno-savvy society.

Apparently, millions of us suffer from "no mobile phobia", which has been aptly given the name Nomophobia.

Yep that's right, the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.

While previous generations had to contend with outbreaks of TB and the Luftwaffe, we're all scared of being without a lump of plastic.

Sadly, I can assure you this isn't an April Fools.

According to a new survey, being out of mobile phone contact is thought to be as stressful as moving house or breaking up with a partner for nearly one in five phone users.

Anxiety over running out of battery or credit, losing your handset and not having network coverage affects 53 per cent of mobile phone users, according to the study by YouGov.

More than 20 per cent of the 2,163 people questioned said they never switched off their mobiles, with one in 10 of them saying their job required them to be contactable at all times.

Stuart Fox-Mills, the head of telephony at the Post Office, which commissioned the survey, said: "Nomophobia' - fear or anxiety about being out of mobile contact - was a very real phenomenon for many people.

"We're all familiar with the stressful situations of everyday life such as moving house, break-ups and organising a family Christmas - but it seems that being out of mobile contact may be the 21st century's contribution to our already manic lives," he said.

"Whether you run out of credit or battery, lose your phone or are in an area with no reception, being phoneless and panicked is a symptom of our 24/7 culture."

In recent years, mobile phones have become an increasingly vital tool of the trade for many professions.

Local estate agent David Hardwick, of Goadsby, believes that being in contact is now an expected part of the job: "In my line of work customer service is very important.

"If I have been held up on previous appointments, it's very helpful to be able to contact my next client to advise them I'm running late, rather than let them assume I'm tardy."

For many, one of the main benefits of carrying a mobile phone is in case of an emergency.

"They are also important for security. If one of our female negotiators is out viewing an empty property, I want to know they can call me if worried for their safety," added David.