Holiday destinations are a £3.4billion tech bonanza for opportunist thieves as new research by ProtectYourBubble.com has discovered.

Almost a third of British holidaymakers take gadgets worth at least £750 away with them this summer and 15 per cent pack tech worth at least £1,000, according to a poll of UK holidaymakers.

Almost one in 10 adults  polled reveal they’ve had a mobile stolen while on a summer holiday in the past three years. A fifth of those said that they actually caught the thief in the act, and almost a quarter  said they managed to recover the phone.

One third revealed the culprit used the phone and they ended up receiving a larger than normal phone bill when they landed home.

More than three quarters of respondents who were asked about the gadgets they take on their summer holiday, said they always have a smartphone. While, over a third pack a tablet in their suitcase and a fifth can’t do without their laptop.

One in seven health-conscious holidaymakers take a Fitbit or other wearable device on vacation, and 9 per cent take a GoPro with them.

One in five adults polled said they’ve lost or damaged a phone while on a summer holiday in the past three years, and with 60 per cent admitting they don’t have phone or gadget insurance, that’s a costly slip-up.

It seems that social-media hungry Brits can’t go anywhere without their phones, tablets and laptops to contact friends and family, take photos and videos and surf the internet.

Three quarters of those polled said they browsed the internet and used apps while away on holiday. While, more than half took photos and videos to post on social media.

However, for some holidaymakers, they had a more mundane reason for taking their smartphones, laptops and tablets with them on their vacation – they just can’t seem to let work go and relax.

Almost a quarter admitted they used their devices while away to work; keeping up with work emails, finishing off tasks they hadn’t completed before heading off on holiday and contacting business colleagues.

James Brown, director of gadget insurance provider Protect Your Bubble.com, comments: “Going on holiday to relax and recharge the batteries clearly doesn’t mean taking a break from technology.

“In a social-media, internet hungry world that demands to be connected 24-7, it’s impossible to imagine not having our smartphone next to us by the pool or on the beach.

“It’s hardly surprising that holiday resorts are a magnet for opportunist thieves on the hunt for unattended phones, tablets and laptops, and with people distracted by screaming kids or taking the opportunity to sunbathe, they’re an easy target.

“For peace of mind, getting insurance for theft, loss and accidental damage means that – should you fall victim to theft, lose your phone or drop a gadget in the pool – you won’t have to fork out hundreds of pounds for a replacement.”