The ‘porch pirate’ map of Britain: Interactive graphic reveals if YOU dwell in doorstep parcel theft hotspot as specialists reveal tips on how to keep away from being a goal forward of Black Friday
Black Friday shoppers are being warned to be on their guard as they snap up online bargains after a study suggested the value of parcels stolen from doorsteps by so-called ‘porch pirates’ has doubled in the last year.
MailOnline has used new data to draw up a map of Britain’s parcel theft hotspots – and the most comprehensive picture of the crimewave to date.
Research suggests 21 per cent of all parcel thefts take place in November and December as gangs target empty homes with parcels sitting outside in order to make a quick buck.
And data shows around one in seven British households has fallen victim to parcel thieves, with deliveries being stolen that are worth an average of £102 at a time.
Shoppers have lost £376.6million in delivered goods across the last year according to postal tech firm Quadient suggests – up from around £204 million in 2023, suggesting thieves are working even harder to steal your bargain buys.
The firm has warned shoppers to be on their guard as they spend a predicted £7.1billion treating themselves and others over the festive period.
Figures on parcel theft are difficult to come by – not least because just one in every 333 thefts is thought to be reported to police. And the true value of parcels stolen last year is likely to be so much higher.
But Quadient – which supplied MailOnline with similar figures last year as we reported on the theft craze – has built up some of the best possible estimates using theft data from police forces across England and Wales and a survey of 2,000 Brits.
This brazen parcel thief strolled up to a doorstep in Bexleyheath, Kent, before fleeing to a waiting getaway car (right of image)
Parcel thieves are growing increasingly brazen in a crime spree costing Brits hundreds of millions of pounds every year
It says thieves will ‘stop at nothing’ to take advantage when parcels are delivered to empty homes.
Around half of police forces responded with data on the number of parcels stolen, as well as how much they were worth.
Combined with data on the time of day most thefts occur, the typical age of someone reporting the theft and the type of property, MailOnline can present one of the most comprehensive pictures of the porch pirate phenomenon to date.
Among the forces that responded, Bedfordshire Police data revealed 99 in 100,000 people had reported thefts – more than last year’s highest per-head rate, Hertfordshire Constabulary, which reported 73 thefts per 100,000.
Reports of theft filed in the east England county also increased by 52 per cent year-on-year.
Gallingly, most thefts – almost two-thirds in all – take place in broad daylight between the hours of 9am and 5pm, when people are likely to be at work.
It may not be surprising to learn the relative majority of victims, 46 per cent, are aged 34 and under – statistically more likely to rely on online shopping, particularly following the coronavirus pandemic.
But as they have returned to work, it may be the case their shopping habits have remained stuck in the past – putting them at greater risk of having a parcel stolen.
And while two thirds of thefts occur at houses – where thieves are likely to run up to a vacant doorstep and pinch a parcel in seconds – the other third of thefts take place in shared occupancy dwellings such as blocks of flats.
Katia Bourgeais-Crémel, of Quadient, said flats were quickly becoming ‘prime targets’ for thieves because of the opportunity to grab multiple parcels at once.
‘No home is immune to the plague of parcel theft, and as higher value items are being stolen, the UK public needs to be especially vigilant over the holidays,’ she said.
‘Flats are now prime targets for porch pirates as they use minimum effort for maximum profit, swiping multiple items at once.
‘This being said, lower resident footfall around houses means they are attractive to opportunistic thieves. More needs to be done to cut off porch piracy’s air supply than ever.’
Shoppers using the likes of Amazon are being urged to consider other ways of getting parcels delivered amid a spate of thefts
A survey conducted alongside the FOI data revealed Londoners were most likely to fall to victim to porch piracy: one in five people living in the capital surveyed said they had fallen victim.
Black Friday is prime shopping season – both for Brits and for scheming thieves. Google search data suggests searches for ‘stolen parcel’ in the UK peak in November and December as newly delivered gifts disappear before they’ve even been opened.
And week after week victims of porch pirates post videos online of their purchases being nicked by unashamed thieves – captured in high definition by their doorbell cameras.
Last week, a thief in Bexleyheath, Kent, was pictured boldly strolling up to a doorstep and grabbing a parcel worth around £100.
He could then be seen dashing back to a waiting car and jumping in the back – suggesting he is part of a wider organised gang.
And in May, a woman could be seen walking up to a front door in Southampton’s Malmesbury Road before making off with a parcel and baby clothes.
In barely believable scenes in June, an Amazon worker could be seen appearing to steal a parcel containing a £225 mobile phone – after dropping off another parcel.
Quadient has previously suggested the cost-of-living crisis and a clash between old Covid shopping habits and a return to the office may have driven the spate of thefts from outside vacant homes.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show 27.6 per cent of all UK retail sales last month were online – below the heady peaks of Covid, but far above pre-pandemic levels.
A terrified woman screamed ‘call the police’ as thieves held up a DPD van
Quadient, which produces parcel lockers like the one above, says shoppers should consider other ways of having their purchases delivered if they can’t be at home
But footage of armed gangs ransacking delivery vans suggests there is a growing trend of organised crime gangs following Britain’s growing fleets of couriers to either rob them, or the houses they deliver to.
The firm produces the kinds of parcel lockers it says people can send items to instead of having them delivered to empty homes – so it is fair to say it has a vested interest in obtaining the data and advocating for lockers.
But it does say there are altogether more altruistic reasons why Brits should avoid sending deliveries to an empty doorstep.
If companies are not shelling out on refunds and replacements for stolen items, prices could be lower. Sending parcels to a secure location could also cut carbon emissions by reducing unnecessary repeat deliveries.
Sending items to a locker would also, Quadient argues, free up police time to investigate other crimes.
Ms Bourgeais-Crémel adds: ‘The UK’s parcel theft problem is everywhere, and the data shows porch pirates are stopping at nothing to make a profit, targeting everywhere from prisons to nurseries.
‘With the economy for parcel theft booming, the cost of lost items is being passed on to the consumer.’
The National Police Chiefs Council recommends using parcel lockers as one of several ways to keep deliveries secure.
However, there are other options – including dropping off parcels at a local corner shop, many of which have tie-ups with the biggest couriers including Evri, Yodel and DPD.
Experts also suggest ensuring someone is at home to receive the delivery – or else to arrange for it to be left with a neighbour or a concierge where available.
If all else fails, the NPCC suggests installing a video doorbell and a security light to act as deterrents.
