Is there a phone theft epidemic in London? Everything to know as Ricky Gervais' billboard for Dutch Barn Vodka says "Hold on to your Phone"

Ricky Gervais recently featured on a billboard for his vodka brand, Dutch Barn Vodka, and the tagline read, "WELCOME TO LONDON. HOLD ON TO YOUR PHONE." The billboard further showed Gervais sitting in a relaxed manner with a glass of vodka in hand. This billboard popped up around the time when there had been multiple reports of phone theft in the city.

According to reports, more than 80,000 cellphones got stolen in London in 2024. The reports further suggested that a year before that, in 2023, the number of phones stolen was around 64,000. Thus, it could be deduced that there had been a major rise in the numbers in a year. 

The New York Times published an article earlier this month, calling London a "global hub for phone theft." The article reported that phone thefts in London have gone beyond the classic pickpocketing. According to reports, many culprits would ride e-bikes and have their faces covered with masks during the action.

The rise in reports of phone thefts has led to more attention to Ricky Gervais' billboard for his vodka brand. Earlier in November, the comedian found himself in the middle of a controversy. He took to social media and posted some taglines like "WELCOME TO LONDON. DON'T FORGET YOUR STAB VEST," and "ENJOY LIFE. YOU'LL BE DEAD SOON."

Earlier this month, Gervais claimed that the commercial with the above-mentioned taglines was rejected from being featured in tube stations across the city. The claim by Gervais that the taglines were rejected was debunked by TfL.

Law enforcement officials have stated that there is an "epidemic of phone theft" in London

According to reports by The Times of India, law enforcement officials in London believe that an "epidemic of phone theft" has spread across the city. As it was reported that more than 80,000 phones were stolen last year, many of those were iPhones. According to London's Metropolitan Police Service, Apple had neglected the national database of stolen devices.

As per reports by The Telegraph, Met Police told the UK's MPs that Apple "already has access to NMPR and uses it every day to check the network status of trade-in devices, but they do not check for theft or take action." Last month, BBC reports suggested that a little over 1% of phone theft cases in London result in getting charged or convicted.

London Assembly member Neil Garratt, who also compared the situation to an "epidemic," stated that some immediate action has to be taken. In October, police reportedly discovered a gang suspected of sending about 40,000 stolen phones from the UK to China. The police described the operation as one of the biggest ones related to phone theft.

About 18 people were taken into custody, and around 2,000 phones were recovered at the time. According to the BBC, the investigation started after a victim decided to trace their stolen cellphone last year. Phone theft has reportedly become a major concern across the city, and people are urging action to deal with the situation.