Shocking doorbell camera footage has captured the moment a delivery driver for the courier firm Evri appeared to steal a Christmas present from a customer's front porch in broad daylight.
The Stolen Christmas Gift
The incident occurred at the home of Toni Fryer, 47, in Timsbury, Hampshire, on the morning of December 15. Ms Fryer was not at home when the driver arrived. CCTV from the property shows the courier dropping off two packages on the porch. The driver is then seen picking up a third parcel that was already waiting outside and concealing it beneath a navy blue jacket before running off.
"I asked my partner to bring the three parcels into the house, but he insisted there were only two left on the porch," Ms Fryer explained. "I pulled up the doorbell footage and couldn't believe what I was seeing."
A Wider Epidemic of Parcel Theft
This brazen theft is not an isolated case. It forms part of a spate of complaints in the run-up to Christmas, with Britain suffering a £650million-a-year parcel theft epidemic. Other buyers have reported stolen goods ranging from kettles to heaters.
Ms Fryer said she contacted Evri about the missing parcel but her complaints led nowhere. "The most annoying thing is that you can't contact them for love nor money," she stated. "Evri have taken no responsibility and their customer service is shocking. I just wish the situation was taken more seriously. I will never use Evri again."
Systemic Delivery Problems in Salisbury
Further reports have emerged of widespread delivery issues in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Over recent months, numerous Evri parcels have gone missing or been sent to incorrect addresses.
Pensioner Tish Burbridge said the problem was "extraordinarily annoying," claiming she had failed to receive six or seven parcels in the last eight months. "I'm now on a pension and money is tight, and I can't afford to lose money like that," she added.
Local resident Laura Clark, who runs two Facebook groups for people who have lost parcels, confirmed that parcel thefts in the city were "happening a lot."
Responses from Evri and Police
A spokesman for Evri said: "Our priority is to handle every parcel with care, and we take claims such as these very seriously. We are investigating this as a priority and our customer service team is reaching out to the customer to offer their support."
Regarding the Salisbury issues, the company stated that a third-party contractor who "didn't meet our standards" had been removed and replaced with a new local courier.
Hampshire Constabulary confirmed they received a report of the theft in Timsbury, which allegedly occurred between 10.10am and 11.05am on December 15, involving a passenger in a delivery van.
