September saw an SMS frenzy

The latest figures have revealed that more than two million text messages were sent per hour in the UK during September, as the SMS craze shows little sign of slowing.

The figures have been announced by the Mobile Data Association, which says a total of 1.43 billion SMS messages were sent during the month - or 48 million per day. This compares to 36 million per day during September 2001.

The running total for the year so far is 12 billion messages. The higher than average number of messages sent during September has been attributed in part to students returning to college and university.

Teenagers and those in their early twenties are particularly prolific when it comes to sending text messages.

The uptake of SMS among this demographic has been so explosive that scientists have even noticed changes in the way different generations use their fingers.

Heavy-texting teenagers, raised in an age of gadgetry, use their thumbs more than any other digit, having trained them on mobile phones and computer games, while older generations still favour the page-turning index finger more than any other.