FOI 975-2025 / Oct 2025 / Doorstep parcel thefts
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 975-2025
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 1st October 2025 as follows:
- How many instances of parcel theft from a doorstep have been reported between the following dates:
01/10/2024-30/09/2025
01/10/2023-30/09/2024
01/10/2022-30/09/2023
01/10/2021-30/09/2022
01/10/2020-30/09/2021
- If possible, can you share the number of reported instances of parcel theft from a doorstep for each month for each of the date ranges in question one. If too time consuming, please would you provide it for the most recent date range.
- If possible, can you share what type of product were stolen most (E.G. mobile phone, air fryer) for the date ranges provided in question one.
- If possible, can you share the total reported value of stolen parcels for the date ranges provided in question one.
- If possible, can you share any data that you hold on which postal or parcel carrier delivered the parcels to the doorsteps of the incidents reported for each of the date ranges in question one.
Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Response: Please be advised that the requested information is not centrally recorded and is therefore not held in a readily retrievable format. There is no specific crime of parcel theft, i.e. the theft of a parcel after it was delivered to the recipient’s address. Reports of thefts such as these would be classified under Home Office Crime Code 49/10 – ‘Theft if not classified elsewhere’, and in order to attempt to determine where the recording of such a crime relates specifically to the theft of a parcel once it has been delivered, and to provide the additional information requested at Q3, Q4 and Q5, it would be necessary to examine the details of all ‘49/10’ crimes on an individual basis. There are approximately 2000 such crimes recorded annually, and, at a very conservative estimate of 5 minutes per record to review, this would equate to hundreds of hours of work for the time period requested. Therefore, this would exceed the amount to which we are legally required to respond, i.e., the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. For Police forces in the UK, the ‘appropriate limit’ is up to 18 hours of work on one request.
In accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for these parts of the request.
In accordance with Section 16 of the Act, I have a duty to provide advice and assistance on refining your request; however, due to the volume of records that would need to be individually reviewed, I am unable to suggest a way to reduce the request into one that could be managed within the fees limit.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB