Thousands of online shoppers in Milton Keynes have had parcels go missing from their porch or safe place, survey shows

A survey by a security company has shown one third of online shoppers have experienced a parcel going missing from their porch of safe place.

Home security specialists SimpliSafe found thefts by ‘Porch Pirates’ – a term coined in the US – are becoming increasing frequent all over the UK.

“In the digital age of today, online shopping has well and surpassed the high street. Amid all of the recent chaos of mail strikes and with a rise in deliveries, an unfortunate trend has emerged,” said a spokesman for the company.

Shockingly, a third of people they surveyed said they had had a parcel go missing on at least one occasion.

Nationally, this could mean up to 19,009,200 parcels have been stolen from porches and other safe places across the country.

In MK alone, it means thousands of households have been affected.

The survey showed men are more likely to have a parcel stolen than women. Under-34s were the most affected, with 38% having had a parcel go missing at least once

Generally, the younger generations were more targeted by Porch Pirates than older people, with 79% of over-55s never having a parcel go missing.

The SimpliSafe spokesman said: “The statistics from the survey are concerning, especially if around 19 million people could be a victim of parcel theft.”

They advise using an outdoor camera or video doorbell to deter would-be Porch Pirates.

“You could also avoid the problem altogether by getting your parcel delivered to a neighbour or to your workplace,” said the spokesman,