A HOMEOWNER has said she “felt sick” after realising a “low-life” thief had cruelly stolen an important parcel from outside her home.

Sonia Pells has lived happily with her family in Artillery Drive, Dovercourt, Harwich for six years and says there has never been any trouble.

Shortly after 10am on Wednesday, however, a present for her nephew was snatched from her doorstep after being left there by a delivery driver half an hour before.

In CCTV footage sent to the Gazette, a van is seen outside Sonia’s home before a hooded and faceless man grabs the parcel and jumps in the vehicle’s passenger side.

In possession of the package, which contained a £40 scooter, the somewhat tired-looking white van is then clocked driving away from the scene.

Sonia, who has been left devastated by the theft, said: “I requested the courier company leave it in my ‘safe place’ but they didn’t, they left it on my doorstep.

“I didn’t realise it had been taken until Thursday as my other half does shifts and I assumed he had taken the parcel in.

“It wasn’t until I asked him on Thursday where it was that we checked back our Ring doorbell footage.

“I felt a bit sick to be honest and obviously annoyed with it being a birthday present that we needed for the weekend.”

Sonia has now urged other homeowners in the area to remain vigilant after being made aware of similar incidents nearby in Ramsey.

The 40-year-old, who has lived in Harwich her whole life, has also slammed the crooks responsible for orchestrating and carrying out the theft.

“They are low life scum who obviously drive round stealing parcels on doorsteps,” she said.

Echo:

The latest incident comes just months after international courier service Pack and Send concluded no other county suffers as many parcel thefts than Essex.

The company’s research found Essex residents had reported a total of 1,888 parcel thefts to Essex Police between 2019 and the first quarter of 2022.

Essex Police have been contacted for comment.