Jeremy Vine Captures 'Porch Pirate' on Video
Alleged thief turned up not long after delivery van left package
Still from video shows man taking package from 'safe place'. Picture: Twitter/Jeremy Vine
TV presenter Jeremy Vine has posted a video on social media of a man taking a package from the front of his home in Chiswick.
So-called ‘porch pirates’ have been active across the W4 area due to the increased usage of delivery services with numerous reports of parcels being taken.
Mr Vine had arranged with TfL for the package to be left in a storage box at the front of his house just before Christmas. 40 minutes after the driver departed, another man turned up on a bike just after midday.
He then went to the storage box and took out the package. Earlier video footage shows he had been keeping an eye on the property when the delivery man arrived and saw where he had left it. Then he knocked on the front door to check that nobody was home but he failed to spot the video camera covering the front of the property.
The police have been informed about the alleged theft and have seen the video. The Eggheads host urged the man appearing in the video to hand himself in. The video has since featured in a national news broadcast.
I got hit by a Porch Pirate a couple of days ago. At 1125 the @dhlexpressuk guy leaves a delivery in an agreed place; at 1207 the Pirate appears. Is he following the van around? He knew exactly where to go. Parcel stolen, box found ripped open 100yds away by kind neighbour pic.twitter.com/sq9tHu8OFZ
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) December 27, 2021
Mr Vine told his social media followers that he would no longer be using the storage box as his designated safe place for deliveries.
If you think you have been the victim of a porch pirate you are advised to contact the seller in the first instance and then the delivery company if the matter is not sorted. Citizens Advice says it has seen a significant increase in the number of requests for help concerning parcel theft and it is calling for an overhaul of the way the delivery market operates.
Man who took the package knocked on the door before leaving. Picture: Twitter/ Jeremy Vine
The Met Police have been approached for comment.
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December 30, 2021