Research by comScore found that 34 per cent people across Western Europe who visited social networking websites on their mobile phone excluded all other mobile web content.

It also found the mobile social networking industry grew by 152 per cent from November 2007 to November 2008, with a total of 12.1 million users across Western Europe, which may interest firms using emerging media in their marketing strategies.

The UK was found to be the highest contributor, with nine per cent of people accessing social websites via their mobile devices.

Alistair Hill, analyst at comScore, said the figures were "encouraging for the future of mobile internet".

He added: "Social networking is taking the mobile internet out of the early adopter demographic, and into the mainstream."

comScore recently revealed that the total global internet audience surpassed one billion visitors in December 2008.