In the age of modern technology, snooping on a partner’s mobile phone is the most common way to catch if they are cheating, followed by going through their Facebook activities, according to a new UK poll.

“Going through mobile phone” has been cited as the top reason why illicit affairs have been exposed, the poll found.

Nearly 2,400 UK adults, all of whom had either been caught cheating while in a relationship or who had found a partner was being unfaithful to them in the past, were quizzed by a mobile phone insurance website on the circumstances in which the infidelity was discovered.

Almost half of those questioned — 41 per cent — said checking for evidence on their partner’s mobile phone was the reason why an affair came to light, the Daily Mail reported.

The second most common way to catch a cheater was via social network websites like Facebook (23 per cent) and by going through their files on their personal computer or tablet (13 per cent).

A minority of 11 per cent were unable to cover their tracks so they were caught face-to-face while 5 per cent had to be told their partner was up to no good by a friend or family member. Just 2 per cent admitted having a guilty conscience led them to making a full confession.

Mobile phone insurance website www.mobileinsurance.co.uk conducted the research after noting a rise in the number of claims for breakages that occurred to handsets during relationship splits or arguments.

Almost a tenth of the respondents taking part said a mobile phone had become broken as a direct result of an argument within a relationship, such as by being thrown or dropped.

“You’d be surprised how often relationship arguments and cheating gets cited in mobile phone insurance claims, even though we often don’t ask for that depth of detail,” John Lamerton, managing director of MobileInsurance.co.uk, said.

“Evidently, those being unfaithful in relationships need to keep better tabs on who is looking at their mobile phone, as it’s by far the most common way in which cheaters are caught. Either that, or they should nip their cheating ways in the bud!” Lamerton said.