Pastor Isaac Anderson is receiving treatment in a London hospital after his iPhone was snatched by suspected e-bike thieves while he was leading a live prayer session.

The incident happened on Friday in Hoe Street, Walthamstow, east London, when two masked men attacked him during a sermon broadcast on Facebook and TikTok.

According to Anderson, he tried to chase the suspects but fell heavily and was rushed to the hospital.

Speaking from his sickbed, he said,“I was admitted to hospital. I fell down heavily and it affected my belly. I was doing a live programme as I was walking, in prayer, and someone came from behind and snatched my phone. So I decided to follow and I immediately took a step and I fell down. I couldn’t do anything. So I had to call an ambulance and they took me to A&E and now I have been admitted. So pray for a speedy recovery. God bless you.”

The Ghanaian-born pastor, popularly called Apostle Anderson by his followers, was about 17 minutes into his sermon when the thieves struck. The phone, still streaming online, later captured one of the suspects saying: “Hey JP, he’s on TikTok. He’s on TikTok live bro… No fam. How do I end it? It’s on Facebook.”

Anderson later warned his followers to be careful in London. He said: “This is London… you don’t know the people that are around you that will come and hurt you. Thieves, burglars and robbers are everywhere.”

The incident has renewed criticism of rising phone thefts in the British capital. Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp, said: “This is the reality of lawless London under Sadiq Khan. 80,000 phones were stolen in London last year, yet the Mayor refuses to act.”

Figures show more than 70,000 phones were stolen in the city in 2024 alone, with many resold overseas, including in Nigeria and China, according to Daily Mail.

The Metropolitan Police said it has launched a crackdown on e-bike gangs, deploying plain-clothed officers, high-powered bikes and helicopters to chase down suspects.