London, Aug 2 (IANS): A mobile phone that blares out a 100 decibel ring tone as loud as a vuvuzela - the plastic horn that hit the headlines during the recent World Cup football - has been devised for the hard of hearing and the elderly.

There's no way you are going to miss the Amplicom M6000 with ring tone as distracting as a pneumatic drill, nor will anyone down the street.

Designed with large, clear buttons and a lack of complicated features, the makers of the Amplicom M6000 say it is compatible with hearing aids, the Daily Mail reported.

Product manager David Youngs, who has hearing difficulties himself, says many people like to be able to make calls without wearing their hearing aid.

"I can make a call and even if I haven't got my hearing aid on I can just push the volume up and hear the conversation perfectly," he said.

"The ring tone is also extremely loud - put it this way, if it went off in a restaurant on the highest setting, you'd probably get thrown out!" he said.

The phone was designed for those with hearing difficulties, but the simple, uncluttered design is expected to prove popular with anyone who feels the range of often unnecessary functions on modern phones is just too much.

The standard earpiece volume of the M6000 goes up to 30 decibel, but a boost function enables it to be increased right up to 110 decibel - louder than a motorbike or the average thunderclap, and almost as noisy as being at a rock concert.

In addition to its ear-splitting volume, the phone features a large, clear keypad and a screen which displays text messages in extra-large type.

And while it has no camera, there are extra functions - including an SOS button on the back which can be set to ring a relative in an emergency.

There is also a motion sensor which can be set to automatically ring 999 or an emergency contact if the user falls over.