UK mobile internet use grew by 25 per cent between Q2 and Q3 this year, thanks in part to unlimited mobile data tariffs, market watcher Nielsen Online has discovered.

Nielsen said that 7.3m of us accessed the web using a phone during Q3, up from 5.8m during the previous quarter. By comparison, PC-based web use grew by just three per cent in the UK during the same periods, up from 34.3m people to 35.3m.

Unsurprisingly, folk aged between 25 and 34 account for the majority of mobile-based web surfers – taking a 26 per cent share of the action. The 15-24 age-group accounts for 25 per cent of users.

But while 23 per cent of the UK’s silver surfers - those aged 55 and over - use a PC to surf the internet, only 12 per cent of them do it using a mobile phone.

But what’s everyone directing their Touch HD, iPhone, G1 or Storm browsers to? Nielsen found that BBC News is the most popular site for mobile web users, with a 24 per cent share of the audience. Sky Sports, Facebook, Google and Gmail are also popular.