Following the boost in online sales fuelled by the global pandemic, UK consumers are expected to increase their online spending over the next couple of years.

Unfortunately, thieves are taking advantage of the rise in online orders and residents across the UK are experiencing an increase in porch thefts.

International courier service Pack and Send has analysed the latest available data from 33 Police Forces across the UK to reveal which residents are most (or least) likely to have their mail stolen from their front door*.

Overall, residents across the UK have reported over 11,000 incidents of mail theft since 2019.

However, Essex tops the table, with 102 mail thefts per capita. The police in Essex have reported a 418 percent increase in mail theft since 2019 and in the first quarter of this year, residents reported over 240 incidents of doorstep thefts.

This may not come as a surprise to the residents of Essex as it’s among the top 20 most dangerous counties in the UK, with the overall crime rate in Essex is 81 crimes per 1000 people.

While these figures highlight that mail theft crimes are continuing, Essex Police have released practical information to help residents avoid being a victim of this crime.

Kent follows in second place, as the area most likely to experience mail theft, with 67 thefts per capita. The county has experienced a 185 percent increase in doorstep thefts since 2019, with 2022 on track to be its worst year yet**.

Northamptonshire, Avon and Somerset and Greater Manchester complete the top five areas most likely to experience mail theft with 51, 46 and 40 mail thefts per capita.

At the other end of the scale, Northern Ireland is deemed the safest place for online orders, with only one mail theft per capita. Since 2019, there have been only 26 reports of doorstop thefts in the whole of Northern Ireland.