CHURCH & General will offer its private motor insurance policy holders a free mobile phone in order to promote its motor emergency service. The offer is to be extended to all of the private motor policy holders in the AGF Irish Life Holdings Group, which includes Church & General, Insurance Corporation and First Call Direct and which has 100,000 motor policy holders.

The offer would run until Christmas at least, said the spokesman. It was being done in conjunction with Eircell and the phone manufacturer Siemens. Industry sources said yesterday that the cost of the offer to Church & General would not be substantial.

The Church & General emergency service is a 24 hour free phone service which organises assistance for its customers in the event of an accident, fire or theft.