Parcel theft in the UK: Oxfordshire tops the chart as worst region

Police data collated by delivery company Pack & Send shows that there were 705 parcel thefts across 2018 and 2019 in the Thames Valley.

This means it is the worst area per capita, experiencing on average 31 thefts per 100,000 people.

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Suffolk Constabulary placed second, reporting 26 parcel thefts per 100,000 people (188 in total), while Essex Police reported 25 thefts per capita (433 in total), putting it in third place.

Looking at the areas most likely to receive their parcels, the Police Service of Northern Ireland reported 21 parcel thefts in 2018 and 2019 combined. This works out as one theft per 100,000 people, meaning Northern Ireland is the safest place in the UK for packages.

Thames Valley Police is using social media to make residents aware of increased parcel theft activity this year and encourages people to request parcels be left with neighbours rather than on doorsteps. 

We are currently experiencing a rise in parcel thefts from front porches, post boxes or communal reception areas. If you are getting anything delivered please ensure that if you are not in you request a safe place for these to be left (such as a neighbour) and not chancing it. pic.twitter.com/cWJID47C0R

— TVP Reading (@TVP_Reading) November 6, 2020

This year, uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 restrictions means that more parcels than ever are likely to be sent from afar as opposed to being gifted face-to-face for Christmas.

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Pack & Send, which has a branch on Botley Road in Oxford, says tracking the delivery and ensuring that the person on the receiving end is actually in to receive a package is probably your safest bet.