A Christian pastor is recovering in hospital after his iPhone was snatched by an e-bike gang during a live-streamed sermon in east London. Apostle Isaac Anderson, a Ghanaian-born preacher, fell heavily while chasing the thieves and has since urged his supporters to pray for him. “Thieves, burglars, and robbers are everywhere,” he warned. “This is London. You never know who is around you and what they’ll do to you.”

Footage of the attack – which shows two masked cyclists ripping the brand-new iPhone 16 Pro Max from his hands mid-prayer – has gone viral across social media. Anderson, speaking from his hospital bed, appeared breathless and in pain. “I was admitted after falling badly, it affected my belly,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything. I had to call an ambulance. Please pray for a speedy recovery. God bless you.”

The attack happened around 6.30am in Walthamstow’s Hoe Street. Anderson was 17 minutes into his live broadcast when two masked cyclists doubled back and crept up behind him. A bus driver even sounded his horn in warning – moments before one rider snatched the phone. In a twist, the thieves accidentally kept Anderson’s stream running, with one heard saying: “He’s on TikTok Live, bro. How do I end it? It’s on Facebook.”

Anderson later urged Londoners to stay vigilant: “Be careful with your phones and your important things. This can happen at any time.” The theft comes amid a surge in mobile snatchings across the capital. Police figures show more than 70,000 devices were stolen on London’s streets last year – triple the number recorded four years ago. Organised gangs, often using high-powered e-bikes and scooters, are believed to be selling phones abroad for parts, costing UK consumers up to £70 million annually. Many stolen devices resurface in markets as far afield as Nigeria and China.

The Metropolitan Police has stepped up efforts to counter what it calls an “industrial-scale” crime wave. Plain-clothed officers now patrol hotspots like Westminster and the West End, while specialist e-bike units and even helicopters are deployed to hunt down suspects.