Faced with a choice of which they would rather go without - a mobile phone or a boyfriend - British women would lose the boyfriend.

The poll of 4,000 women by online pawnbroker Borro.com, and reported in the Daily Mail, found four out of 10 women saying they would be "devasted" to lose their mobile phone.

A third of respondents said they could happily live without a man.

It's not all bad for the boyfriends, though. While they came below mothers, photographs and best friends in the must-have accessory list, guys did beat laptops, iPods, hair straighteners and handbags. Oh, and tweezers.

While admitting that the survey results were surprising, "photos hold fun and significant memories which could be devastating to lose and a mobile phone keeps women connected and it's always by their side," said CEO of Borro Paul Aitken.