Map reveals ‘porch pirate’ hotspots where Black Friday & Christmas parcels are most at risk – do you live in red zone?

A MAP has revealed Britain's "porch pirate" hotspots wherever Black Friday and Christmas parcels are astir astatine hazard of theft.

Thieves swiping parcels near abandoned by couriers connected beforehand doorsteps person been wreaking havoc crossed the state for years.

Some £376.6 cardinal worthy of parcels were stolen implicit the past 12 months, compared to £304million past year, according to a survey by postal tech steadfast Quadient.

And present a representation tin uncover the UK's worst deed areas.

Bedfordshire topped the list, with 99 thefts per 100,000 people.

It marks a crisp emergence from past year's leader, Hertfordshire, which reported 73 thefts per 100,000.

Londoners are besides among the astir affected, with 1 successful 5 residents reporting stolen parcels.

Dorset sees a festive surge with 20 per cent of parcel thefts happening successful December.

While Cumbria reports 35 per cent of thefts implicit November and December.

Meanwhile, Northumbria takes the apical spot for priciest stolen parcels, with an mean worth of £202.20.

Young professionals aged 22-34 are the property radical astir apt to study stolen parcels.

Data suggests November and December are highest months for parcel thefts, accounting for 21 per cent of incidents arsenic opportunistic criminals people homes brimming with online orders.

Searches for 'stolen parcel' besides spike successful the UK during November, December, and January, with Google Trends information showing a highest successful the weeks earlier Christmas

Shoppers are expected to walk £7.1 cardinal this festive season, making their doorsteps a lucrative target.

Shockingly, 1 successful 7 UK households has fallen unfortunate to parcel theft, with stolen deliveries averaging £102 successful value.

Yet, galore cases spell unreported with conscionable 1 successful 333 incidents logged with police, meaning the existent standard is apt acold greater.

Experts pass high-risk areas see flats, wherever thieves tin drawback aggregate packages astatine once, and houses near bare during the workday.

Most thefts hap successful the moving day, betwixt 9am and 5pm.

Experts blasted a premix of factors, including lingering online buying habits from the pandemic and a instrumentality to bureau work, leaving homes unoccupied during highest transportation times.

The figures were sourced from police data and a survey of 2,000 people.

The outgo of surviving situation whitethorn besides beryllium pushing organised transgression gangs to ramp up their operations, targeting transportation vans and homes alike.

In 1 alarming incidental highlighting the increasing brazenness of parcel thieves, a helpless DPD operator successful Leytonstone, London, could lone ticker arsenic hooded thugs raided his transportation van successful wide daylight.

Footage captured by a bystander shows a pack of men dressed successful achromatic leaping from their achromatic Ford Fiesta and ransacking the van portion the operator was delivering a package.

Despite attempts to deter the robbers by honking a car horn, the thieves continued unabated, loading stolen parcels into their conveyance earlier speeding off.

Katia Bourgeais-Crémel, Quadient's Executive Vice President, warned those surviving successful flats to beryllium particularly wary.
She added: "No location is immune to the plague of parcel theft. High worth items are being stolen, and flats are becoming premier targets arsenic thieves look for casual wins".

To combat the increasing threat, shoppers are advised to instrumentality precautions.

The National Police Chiefs Council recommends utilizing parcel lockers oregon arranging deliveries to a unafraid location, specified arsenic a neighbour's location oregon a section store offering courier necktie ups.

Installing video doorbells and information lights tin besides enactment arsenic deterrents.