The Mickey Mouse cell phones are soon to be a thing of the past. In Response to a PrimeTime report, in which scientists criticize some in the cell phone industry for marketing phones to children at a time when there are gaps in knowledge about cell phone safety, the Walt Disney Co. disclosed yesterday that it will stop licensing its cartoon characters for cell phones. Disney made the announcement after PrimeTime approached Disney, the parent company of the ABC television network and ABCNEWS.com, for a comment. Mickey and Minnie Mouse appear on faceplates that can be attached to certain Nokia phones. "Because the well-being of our customers is our priority, we have decided to discontine the licensing of our characters for use on cellular telephones until there is reliable scientific evidence establishing the absence of any such risk," said John Singh, spokesman for Disney Consumer Products. Sales of cellular phones are booming. But a growing number of scientists and public officials are raising serious concerns about children's exposure to the microwave radiation that these phones emit. And some say companies should not market the phones to children - a recommendation that could be a huge setback for the cellular phone industry. "If there is a hazard from this technology, then the kids are more vulnerable," said Oxford University professor Colin Blakemore, a widely respected expert on brain development. "And I think if the industry were to behave truly responsiblu, they would play their part in discouraging children from unnecessary use."