Operators have told retailers to pull back from low-end deals on cheap Nokias this week, after the Nokia 1208 was hit by box breakers.

The entry-level Nokia was being sold for as little as £10 and more typically £15. It has now doubled in price to come in line with the amount it sells for on the open trading market.

The 1208 was sold in almost all the non-specialist retailers at the heavily discounted price in recent weeks.

Retailers often ‘Sim pair’ to attract customers, using standard prepay commissions and pairing the Sim with a popular handset, such as the 1208.

Low-end Nokias are popular among box breakers because of the ease with which they are sold overseas.

Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile are understood to have been the networks that were affected by the low pricing of the 1208.