A mobile phone described by its Israeli creators as "the most secure product ever made" has been launched in London.

The Solarin phone costs £14,500 and is made by Sirin Labs co-founders Moshe Hogeg and Tal Cohen. They say it offers secure emails, texting, phone calls with a total block on hacks and viruses.

This is through the phone's "security shield," which is switched on by toggling the black diamond on the back of the titanium and leather-coated case.The model also comes with a market-leading camera.

Following the launch on Tuesday, Mr Cohen told the JC that his company had already sold more than £700,000 worth of the product online - which amounts to around 60 phones.

He said that the Solarin was aimed at elite-level customers - "international business people who spend much of their lives in the move".

He pointed out that privacy was an increasingly troubling issue in the world of high-tech.

"Anyone can be hacked at any time. And when you hack into someone's phone these days, you hack into their lives. This is intolerable."

The wealthy clientele targeted by Sirin Labs "want more privacy than they've ever had, but don't want to compromise on capability, quality or aesthetics."

At the launch, television presenter Rachel Riley introduced the product to loud applause from a crowd of more than 100 at the glitzy One Marylebone venue in central London.

Mr Hogeg revealed that plans were afoot to make the phone more affordable.

"Next year we're going to drive the price down. Technology first, then an affordable cost," he said.