Blackburn: Parcels stolen from Canterbury Street Royal Mail sorting office

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https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n ... ng-office/

UP TO twelve parcels have been stolen from a Royal Mail sorting office in Blackburn.

The parcels were taken from the delivery office on Canterbury Street in the town over the course of the night from August 11 to 12 last week.

Royal Mail has confirmed that they are currently investigating the thefts.

A spokesperson said: "We can confirm that an intruder did break in to Blackburn Delivery Office, where a small number of parcels were stolen.

"The safety and security of the mail is of paramount importance to Royal Mail, and we are seeking to make further improvements to our security.

"We deliver millions of items safely every day and the theft of mail is very rare.

"Royal Mail and the police are continuing to investigate this matter and we would urge anyone with information to contact the police."

Police confirmed that they had received a call the following afternoon.

A spokesperson said: "It was reported to us at 5.19pm on August 12, approximately 10 to 12 parcels were stolen.

"No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing."

This comes after recent revaluations about the extent of parcel theft across the UK, with charity Citizens Advice having revealed that over 5 million people had a parcel lost or stolen last year.

Such losses were felt particularly acutely during lockdown, with huge numbers of people depending on deliveries having been unable to take part in normal shopping.

In response, Citizens Advice has called on the government to help deal with parcels losses, like the recent thefts in Blackburn, with harsher penalties including fines for delivery firms.

However, in contrast to the Blackburn thefts, many of these losses have occurred with parcels in transit or left on customers' doorsteps.

The charity has also said that it should be easier for customers to get compensation and that delivery staff should be given better protection.

Director of policy Matthew Upton said: "When it comes to parcel deliveries, the power of choice is in the hands of the retailers, not those receiving the parcels.

"So when we find our parcels under a bush or behind our bins, it's easy to lay the blame at the door of individual hard working drivers.

"But the reality is that these failings are baked into the system. Overworked drivers, no routes to compensation and a lack of penalties for poor service equals a lack of meaningful consumer protection.

"Addressing the sheer pressure that drivers are under and holding companies to account is the real way to improve this essential service for the millions of people who rely on it."

Anyone concerned about mail items can contact Royal Mail Customer Services on 03457 740740.